


Terrace House: JO1 Edition

by sky2sea



Series: terrace house au [1]
Category: JO1 (Japan Band), Produce 101 (Japan TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Confessions, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Romance, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn, i miss pdjp, just trust me i swear, no beta we die like men, slight mame not much because he is still a minor i am very sorry to mame enthusiasts, terrace house au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:29:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 47
Words: 144,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23682412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sky2sea/pseuds/sky2sea
Summary: Terrace House is a show about six strangers living together. There is no script at all.Alternatively, a Terrace House au but it's just JO1 + other trainees from Produce 101 Japan that I miss.
Relationships: Kawanishi Takumi/Kawashiri Ren, Kimata Syoya/Kinjo Sukai, Kono Junki/Sato Keigo, Shiroiwa Ruki/Yonashiro Sho, Yonashiro Sho/Sato Keigo
Series: terrace house au [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711525
Comments: 72
Kudos: 48





	1. Episode 1: "New Beginnings"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *insert Terrace House door opening creak*

A beautiful house stands alone, surrounded by nature in the hills of Nagano, Japan. On a breezy afternoon in late September, it stands tall, however still well hidden by the forestry around. The light from the sun bounces off of it, making anyone who sets their gaze on it stop and hold their breath, waiting for something more glorious to happen. Floor to ceiling windows expand the whole back side of the house, which can see outside into the large backyard, fit with a large in-ground pool as well. If you look closely, you can see the starting memories of the soon-to-be boys who will occupy this house, playing catch in the grass, building bonfires and camping in the backyard, as well as creating snowmen while sledding down the makeshift hills. Looking inside the house, there is a modernized dining room and living area, furnished with top of the line furniture and kitchen supplies for comfortable living, along with an endless spiraling staircase to the floor above. Soon, the house will be filled with rowdy and cheery young adults, all hoping to find friendship and new experiences. 

The first person to arrive at the house is a young man with dashing good looks. His hair flops just above his eyes as he steps out of the car that brought him to the enormous house, his tall stature extending once he was fully out. He smiles as if he already knew what would go down inside the house, and how it would change his life forever. 

Grabbing his luggage from the trunk, he thanked the driver and wished him a safe drive away as he watched him leave. Afterwards, he completely forgot to ask if the house was unlocked, but he wasted no time in trying the handle anyway (though not before ringing the doorbell. There was no answer). Thankfully, the knob turned, and he sighed in relief to be able to get out of the heat and into the new house after his long journey. 

“Hello? Anyone else here?” He called out tentatively, as he hoped not to scare anyone if they were to arrive. The house didn’t respond. As he walked further into the house, he got to the living room, and assumed he was alone, as there was no sign of life from anyone else in the house. He sighed, in what was either relief or anxiety even he didn’t know, and set his luggage aside. The first arrival decided to walk around and explore the house, as his nerves wouldn’t let him sit still. 

About 20 minutes passed, when a sharp ‘ding’ sounded throughout the house, signaling another arrival. The male got excited, enough to smile wide and almost jump up and down, when he then realized that he should probably answer the doorbell. From looking around the house earlier, he quickly remembered where the intercom was and answered with a “hello?” and a “come in,” when the other answered. 

Happy to finally not be alone, he kept sitting down and standing up, waiting until the other person appeared around the corner. Within a minute, the other male shyly stepped into the room, immediately bowing to the other once he noticed him. 

“Oh, hello” the soft voice of the new tenant stated once he saw the first. Although he knew the first arrival was in house by him answering the doorbell, the new comer was still surprised by his appearance. 

“Hello there. My name is Yonashiro Sho, nice to meet you,” the first smiled widely at the new person, and helped him move his luggage off to the side. It was awkward at first, them not knowing each other and how to interact. Maybe that’s why they decided to come to terrace house, to improve themselves.

After setting his luggage aside, the new male bowed deeply again and introduced himself, “Hello, Yonashiro-san. I’m Kawarishi Ren. Nice to meet you too. I hope we have fun together,” he smiled, his eyes disappearing into crescents. Sho chuckled at seeing his expression, thinking it was cute. He was always a sucker for smiles. 

“Please, let’s sit down. I am so excited now that someone new is here, I thought I was going out of my mind being alone. I couldn’t sit down,” Sho confessed, his feelings spilling over slowly as he started talking. He wanted to get as comfortable as possible with all the new housemates so there were no awkward interactions at all during their stay, and they can create a lively atmosphere. 

Doing as he was told, Ren sat on the edge, still not sure on how to act. Usually friendly, he was now on the shyer side taking in the new experience all at once. 

“Ah, I am quite excited too. This is all new for me, living away from home and with more people. It will be good for me, though. I hope we can become friendly,” Ren showed his gummy smile again, crooked canines poking out. Sho thought it was charming. Just as he was about to ask a question, the doorbell rang once again. 

Both the males looked at each other, surprised at how soon another was arriving, but excited at the same time to be with new people. Sho smiled and got up, saying he would answer the doorbell. Not 2 minutes later, another head peeked around the corner, eyes hidden behind a curtain of hair scanning the room. He shyly stepped out into the living room area, bowing at the other two housemates. He stood tall in his dark outfit, intimidating the others until he speaks up with his shy voice.

They all exchanged hellos, the new tenant introducing himself as “Kimata Syoya,” who loves to eat and hopes to learn cooking for his overeating habits, as not to rely on others’ cooking. The other members laughed at him, giddy about this new and seemingly younger member. So far, they haven't said their ages yet, so they are all still tip-toeing around each other so as not to offend. 

Ren complimented Syoya, reacting to his little comment and saying he was cute. “Oh, you’re so cute! How old are you, by the way?”

Syoya spoke quietly, saying, “I was born in April of 2000. I just turned 20 a couple of months ago.”

The other housemates started cooing, calling Syoya a baby. They then revealed their ages, Ren being born in March of 1997, a 23 year old, and Sho a being born in 1995, soon to turn 25. 

“As being the oldest so far, I promise to do my best to take care of you,” Sho smiles at the others, feeling content with caring for them. He’s had experience caring for his younger siblings, so he already feels at home with these new housemates. 

They leisurely talk about this new experience, sharing little facts with each other but waiting for more tenants to arrive when the doorbell rings once again. Now more giddy than nervous, Sho immediately reacts to the sound, bounding over to the intercom and saying hello. 

Another tall figure walks in, seeming like he just walked out of a magazine. The others couldn’t help but gawk at his beauty, feeling out of place in their own shoes while this new person stands up straight with confidence in his clearly expensive outfit. Curly black hair laid neatly over his eyes as if it belonged there, a long tan coat hung just past his knees. He walks in awkwardly, contrary to the other's previous thoughts, as these 3 pairs of eyes on him seem more important than any of the ones looking at him as he walked the runway for his job.

“Good afternoon, I am Sato Keigo. Nice to meet you,” Keigo bows deeply as he sets his luggage aside when the others have placed theirs. He stands up straight again, as he was taught, though if someone looked hard enough they could tell that he was nervous by the way his eyes didn’t shine, and his mouth moved slightly. He hoped this was the right decision, and that he could find what he was looking for. 

The oldest greeted him first, bowing slightly and gesturing for him to sit down and make himself comfortable on the sofa. 

After going around with introductions yet again, the three previous boys learned that Keigo was 22 years old and loves to draw. Now that there were four of them, it became easier to open up and feel comfortable. Sure enough, two more tenants arrived.

The first one, Kono Junki, came in louder than the other ones with the biggest smile on his face. With his bright outfit, the others can't help but smile along with him. The 22 year old was quick to make friends with the others in the house. Everyone could tell that he loved making jokes and keeping the atmosphere lively. He easily bonded with Syoya over food, and promised him that he will teach the younger how to make his specialty italian dish, while getting close to Keigo as well because of their close age. 

Unfortunately for the last, his car encountered a malfunction while they were on the road so he came in later than expected, hours after Junki arrived and past the acceptable time for eating dinner. The other housemates, as expected, became worried and stayed up to wait for the new arrival. He came around 10 o’clock at night, frustrated and embarrassed. He felt like crying as he watched the driver leave, left alone on the front steps of the house he will be living in for the time being. And he did, just for a second though. He couldn’t have his first impression to his house mates that they have a crybaby on their hands.

So he turned around and faced the door, wiping furiously at his eyes and taking a deep breath. 

“You can do it. It’s not your fault,” he whispered encouragement to himself as he stood in front of the door for a full 5 minutes, still scared to ring the bell. But eventually, he decided that the faster he enters the house, the better. So he pressed forward and lifted his finger to the button, pushing it lightly.

Inside the house, the other housemates were getting anxious. Junki arrived last, but that was hours ago. Every 10 minutes, Sho glanced at the intercom that just wouldn’t ring. No one was telling them anything, and they wondered if the new housemate would just arrive tomorrow instead. The boys didn’t even eat dinner yet, waiting for their new member to arrive to have with him. 

Ren wanted to go to the front of the house, look out the window, anything to see if someone was there. If not, then he would wait, but he didn’t like this feeling in his stomach. 

“Yonashiro-san, when is the new roommate coming? I am starting to get really worried, he should be here by now,” Syoya said quietly, his voice cutting sharply through the thick silence. Being the eldest, Sho was getting asked a lot of questions that he simply couldn’t answer. He felt terrible, feeling helpless like this he wanted to crawl into bed and never leave. Then, like a miracle happened, the hoped for but alo dreaded doorbell sound rang throughout the house. 

“H-hello? I am moving in today. Sorry for being so late,” an obviously stressed voice sounded through the intercom.

It felt like forever before anyone made any attempt to move. It broke their hearts, hearing the voice of the man, how it sounded so broken and upset. Everyone was looking at Sho, waiting for him to make the next move. After an eternity, Sho crept towards the intercom, pressing the button and breathing out a greeting, inviting the last tenant inside. He then sat down on the sofa, gathering the younger boys as well as they waited.

No one was expecting bright pink hair to peak out from behind the corner of the wall a minute later. The young, 21-year-old got startled by the 5 pairs of eyes that locked on him in an instant, as he stayed slightly hidden behind the corner. It wasn’t until almost immediately Junki grinned at the newcomer, and got up to help him with his luggage, as if he came only moments after Junki did himself. The new boy was grateful for the distraction from Junki, and shyly introduced himself as everyone waited for him to make the first move.

“Hello everyone. My name is Kawanishi Takumi. Please excuse my lateness. Nice to meet you all,” he swallowed hard, looking down at the ground as he felt his face get hot. He played with his hair, making it fall over his face as much as possible. Whenever he got embarrassed, his face would flush a bright red, it wasn’t hard to miss. Maybe the pink would drown out the redness in his face, and they wouldn’t know the difference. He fidddled with his fingers, pulling the sleeves of his pink sweatshirt just over his fingertips, a habit since he was young. It held for a good distraction.

“I’m Kono Junki, 22 and very happy to meet you Kawanishi-san! I’m sure it’s been a long trip for you, are you hungry? We haven’t eaten yet,” Junki started to talk first, hoping to clear the awkward air. He hated silence, and especially with tension in that air that can choke you, he cannot stand it. With no choice, he spoke to Takumi first, hoping to make him feel more at home, especially with this new experience that he doesn’t think ANY other season had before. This was an obstacle the group had to overcome together, and the best way was to make Takumi feel even more comfortable and at home, as if nothing different ever happened. Junki was determined to become his first and best friend. 

Confused, yet grateful, Takumi looked up and smiled slightly, fiddling with his fingers. His throat closed up and wouldn’t let him speak, so he nodded instead, grateful for the distraction. 

As Sho and Junki lead Takumi into the kitchen, he didn’t notice the stares of the other members, or one to be specific, that had become captivated by Takumi, and hoped that it was him who rescued Takumi from being embarrassed and not Junki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i realize that i made syoya a senior in college even though he is only 20 but just go with it i really don't refer to age a lot, only younger than or older than


	2. Episode 2. "Understanding is a Virtue"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BANNERS - Someone To You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for some reason my mind was like 'make all the 2000 liners university students (oops little spoiler for later on but whatever)' even though they're 20 but it's fine i don't really mention age a lot later on anyways like their actual number age so just go with it

The new tenants couldn’t thank the staff of the show enough for stocking the fridge before they moved in. It was a weight lifted off their shoulders as Junki and Keigo began cooking dinner for the rest of them, with the other members helping out with small tasks, in any way they can. 

The only one who wasn’t helping right now, was Takumi. They wouldn’t allow him to, due to his long journey to the house, and they didn’t want him to worry about anything else. However, Takumi felt like a failure, just sitting around and not being needed for anything. It took all his strength to not cry out at them that he isn’t a fragile baby, and wants to help as well. It would help distract him from his awful day too. Even as everyone else was working on preparing and cooking, Junki managed to never leave Takumi out of the conversation, even as he was across the kitchen. Always the conversationalist, Junki jumped from topic to topic, asking questions and always giving the best reactions. Takumi was grateful, and began to feel just a little bit more at home, even if he was just sitting at the dining table. 

As they worked, they began to learn more about each other. Ren was a back up dancer in Tokyo, as well as teaches dance lessons a couple times a week to younger kids. It was a longer drive to Tokyo from the house, but he was thankful he didn’t have to go out every day, more like every two or three days now if he can help it. Keigo jumped in on the topic, admiring how Ren danced as he was interested in it himself. 

Meanwhile, Sho shared that he is an English teacher to kids in elementary school. While he hated moving to a different school to teach, he got a new job close enough to the house where it was easy and made more sense than driving hours such as Ren (“Hey! That’s my dream you’re talking about right there!” Ren disputed, through more like whined at the older, much displeased at the chuckled Sho gave him back). 

Junki was hoping to become a chef soon, so he offered to cook for the housemates anytime, and hoped that they would ask him too. He would like to open up a restaurant soon, though isn’t sure yet on which type of restaurant. Although he loves Italian, Junki can also make a mean sukiyaki. He hopes that by being in this house, his roommates can give him opinions on how to cook better food, and eventually where his strengths are as to which type of restaurant he should open. 

Syoya was a university student, studying business and economics, and would soon be starting classes up once again. It would be his final year in university, so he is excited to finish and start a real life, making new friends, and becoming an adult.

Takumi giggled at the interactions going on around him, feeling more and more at ease with every conversation. He still hasn’t said much, other than short responses to Junki or Sho, but other than that he was a much better listener than talker. That is, until Junki smiled at Takumi, asking him what he does as a living now.

Flustered, Takumi stopped short for a second. “Well, I did work at a factory. But that didn’t work out, it just felt wrong to me. There isn’t much that I am good at right now, so I am thinking of trying out different things while I am here.”

Junki smiled softly at him. “I’m sure you’re good at many things! What do you like to do, for fun? Maybe we could experiment with that,” Junki said excitedly, hoping to have a similar interest with the pink-haired male. 

“Hmm,” Takumi hummed, deep in thought. The house got quiet as he thought about his younger years, the only sound was the chopping of a knife, and the bubbling and charring of the food cooking on the stove. “I guess, when I was younger I liked to dance too. I stopped after a couple of years though, and haven’t tried since so I doubt I am good at it. I like anything creatively too, like the arts. I’ve always admired flowers too. Yeah. Dance and flowers, I like those,” Takumis said softly, once again his finger fidgeting against each other as he couldn't make eye contact. _Flowers? Really Takumi, you’re so embarrassing,_ he thought to himself. He told himself he wouldn’t make any embarrassing comments, but not even an hour into meeting his roommates he already messed up.

On the contrary, Ren looked up excitedly. He always loved when someone talked about dance. 

“Oh, Takumi-kun, if you want I can bring you to my dance studio. You can go back to your childhood, that would be fun wouldn’t it?” Ren grinned widely at Takumi, happy he was able to find something in common with the boy he found so adorably cute.

Of course, Takumi couldn’t say no to Ren. He never could say no, he hated disappointing others. It’s not like he didn’t want to go either, in fact getting back in front of the mirror with music playing in the background sounded great. He just was scared. Scared of everything.

“Food is ready!” Junki called out, causing a large commotion amongst the roommates, and everyone yelling out how starving they were. Junki and Sho sat protectively on either side of Takumi, while Keigo, Ren, and Syoya sat opposite of them. Junki set his pasta dish in the center of the table, clapped his hands, and announced that everyone could dig in. 

Hums of appreciation and delight filled the air, praising Junki and his band of servants who helped make dinner. 

“I’m really glad that I got picked for this experience, I know we’ll have a great time together,” Syoya said as the conversation died down a little. “I’m also really glad that Takumi-kun was able to make it, we all got so worried about you. Since it’s going to be the weekend now, let’s all go have some roommate bonding time this weekend!” He then picked up the somber mood, hoping that the other members will also cheer up and get excited about the upcoming weekend.

“That’s a great idea, Syoya! Any ideas, anyone?” Sho asked the group, who were seeming to buzz with excitement and plans already thought out.

“I want to go downtown and visit the cafes!”

“What about that trampoline park nearby?”

“How about we all go see that new movie, and then get dinner afterwards! Eh, what was it called again . . . ?”

“Junki, are you kidding? You suggested a movie you don’t even know the name of?”

“Well that can’t be helped! When I get excited I forget things,” Junki pouted. 

“Okay, okay, that’s a lot of things we can do,” Sho laughed at the kids. “What about the trampoline park and the movie tomorrow, and then on Sunday we can go to the cafes? I think there will be less people there on Sunday anyways, which is better,” the oldest reasoned, looking at everyone who nodded in agreement. With the weekend planned out, everyone relaxed more and joked around, excitedly planning other days and weekends for more things the group could do together. He was glad the group got along so well so quickly, a change for viewers where in some other seasons people were more tense and awkward with each other at first. He was happy there weren’t many awkward pauses in conversation, and it was especially handy with Junki around to always start a new conversation topic. 

With that, the boys cleaned up the dishes, with Takumi insisting to take over the sink area and let most of the other boys rest, since he did nothing to help prepare dinner. It was the least he could do. Begrudgingly, the boys agreed, though Junki still shoved his way next to Takumi and insisted he help as well, just before anyone else could offer to lend a hand. Everyone wanted to help the adorable pink-haired boy.

“You know I can do this myself. There aren’t that many dishes, and plus most of them can sit and soak overnight. Also, wouldn’t you want to be able to pick your room first?” Takumi asked Junki as they stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the sink.

Junki smiled at Takumi, shaking his head and insisting on helping the younger.

“I don’t think I’ve told anyone else this before, but as much as I love cooking, I love cleaning up as well,” Junki whispered into Takumi’s ear, giggling along with every word he said. It was true too, Junki did like the satisfaction of cleaning up and leaving everything else spotless. 

Takumi let out a belly laugh, the first and most genuine since he arrived. He knew from that moment on, him and Junki would be close friends. He was grateful to Junki, for being the first one to talk to him and act like nothing was wrong as he felt so out of place and embarrassed by his first impression to everyone. He bumped his friend’s shoulder and snorted, asking how he can be happy when he is touching leftover food from everyone’s plates. All he got in return was a simple shrug and a small smile from the now mysterious man, who is sharing nothing anymore, but instead hoping that Takumi is lured into him by his mysteriousness. 

Over in the living room, gazes were set on the growing friendship. Some had soft smiles on their faces, while others looked on longingly and distressed.

* * *

After the clean up was done, the boys now could pick their rooms. This year, the house used was much larger, and housed enough rooms for each boy to have a room to themselves. 4 rooms occupied the upstairs, while 2 rooms the downstairs. Sho and Takumi decided on the rooms on the first floor, while the other boys fought amongst themselves on who gets which room. While those boys upstairs ran from room to room, claiming which one was theirs and unpacking, Sho and Takumi once again talked with each other, and helped one another move into their room. 

While Takumi was in his, Sho poked his head in, smiling at the small boy who was looking around at the plain room, figuring out how to make it feel like 'Takumi'. 

“Hey! You can’t do that, you scared me!” The younger yelped when he turned around, spotting the brown-haired male. 

“Sorry,” Sho chuckled. “Do you mind if I come in? You have a nice room, way bigger than mine,” He complimented.

Takumi was still wary of Sho, even though he was also very nice to him like Junki was. He doesn’t feel comfortable around strangers, though this was why he applied to terrace house in the first place. Takumi invited the older into his room and offered him a seat on the chair inside, while he paced his room, looking at the walls and desks, envisioning what he wanted. They bounced ideas back and forth about what posters he should put where, and which figurines would look best by his bed, or rather on top of his dresser across the room instead. Through this small talk, Takumi got more comfortable and shared a few laughs with Sho when he teased him about certain placements. 

“I swear, if you tell me that having my figurines on my dresser would clash with my pictures then you’re wrong, Yonashiro-kun! Cresselia can also be next to my mother, right? I think they would look good together,” he pouted, fixing the placement of the picture frame of him and his mother. Once realizing how silly their sentences were, they doubled over in laughter, Sho almost crying from how contagious and cute Takumi’s laughter was, not being able to stop until he did. 

Soon, the tears start to make Takumi sleepy, with his eye drooping as conversation went on into the night. 

Seeing that, Sho bid him goodnight, and told him that he would tell the others he went to bed. Before he left, he ruffled the younger one's hair and cooed, the gesture that is so common to Sho he does it by habit. Thanking him, Takumi shut his door and changed into his fluffy pajamas that his mother gifted to him on his last birthday. Snuggling into his bed, he was out cold within minutes.


	3. Episode 3. "Trampoline Things"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chase Atlantic - Friends

Morning came just as quick as Takumi fell asleep. 

He stumbled out of his room, half asleep, beckoned by the delicious smells wafting from the kitchen. This was a pleasant surprise, as his mother usually did not make breakfast in the morning. He wondered what the occasion was. 

“Good morning!” A familiar voice sang to Takumi as he noticed the young boy was up. “How’d you sleep?”

Now the pink boy was wide awake. Was there a stranger in his house? No, as he opened his eyes more and became more aware of his surroundings, he realised that he was indeed not in his house. Then it all came flooding back to him, of what happened yesterday, and moving in with 5 strangers. Suddenly he became all red again, and looked down at his duck animal print pajamas, but it was too late to change as Junki rushed over to him and grabbed his wrist, making him sit down to eat breakfast with everyone. 

Yes, he was the last one up. And yes, everyone else was up and could see what Takumi wears to bed, all of them cooing over him, even Syoya. 

Too embarrassed, Takumi grabbed his chopsticks and raised the bowl of rice up to his face, eating as a distraction to hide his growing blushing face. 

“So when are we going to the trampoline park?” Syoya asked, bouncing in his seat. That boy had way too much energy in the morning. 

“Maybe noon? Then we can stay for a few hours until we get tired, then go eat dinner,” Keigo suggested, though mostly to make Syoya be quiet for a minute. He wasn’t that much of a morning person, it was obvious by the way he was quietly eating his breakfast, his body and mind still not in sync as his hand slowly brings more rice into his mouth. 

“Wait, but what about the movie?” Junki pouted.

“How about one here instead, that might be easier and plus we could save money that way,”

“And be as loud as we want!” Junki interjected, fist-pumping the air. 

“No!” Sho groaned, rubbing his temples. This means no action movies, or the boys will be up the walls. Instead, he asked the younger guys what they wanted to watch, and said they could rent on his account. Eventually they settled on a horror comedy, an equal combination of Syoya’s favorite genres. If anyone gets too scared, he stated he will protect them, giving an over exaggerated wink to everyone at the table. 

Junki and Keigo gagged, laughing as they finished their breakfast bowls. 

Soon it was time to go, but Takumi stood in his room, wondering what to wear. He stupidly didn’t bring any clothes that could be categorized as working out in. He never really worked out back home anyway, and since he hasn’t danced in a long time there was no need for him to have loungewear of the kind. Of course, this makes him be the one who is making everyone else late - again. And he hates it. 

“Takumi!” Syoya held out the last syllable of his name in a playful manner as they waited in the living room, where Takumi’s room was just down the hall. “I wonder what is taking him so long,” he wondered out loud. 

Ren suddenly jumps up, saying he will go check on the younger. He hoped he could be the one to help him, since all of his previous chances were squashed. Ren walked slowly down the hall towards Takumi’s room, gently knocking on the door and only pushing it open when he got the okay from the owner. 

“Are you all ready to go?” Ren asked, before seeing that the boy was still in his cute duck pajamas. He stifled a giggle, though questioned him with a look he hoped the younger could interpret. 

“Ah, well I have no clothes for the trampoline park. I didn’t bring any work-out like clothes with me,” Takumi admitted sheepishly, rubbing the nape of his neck. “I am not sure what to do, I want to go but I don’t want to impose . . .”

“Just borrow my clothes!” Ren offered maybe a beat too quick. “We look the same size right?” He went to stand next to the shorter, and look at themselves in the mirror. Indeed, their heights were similar, Ren being just taller, though that shouldn’t matter that much. Satisfied, Ren nodded, and offered once again. 

Takumi looked away shyly. This wasn’t normal to him. You should only share clothes with very close friends, family, or significant others, which Takumi doesn’t see himself as any of those with Ren. There was a back and forth debate between them, Takumi worrying and Ren saying it was alright, determined to have Takumi come with them. 

“Please, Takumi-kun,” Ren said softly as he looked at Takumi, pleading with his eyes. He knew how much the others wanted to get to know him and make him feel welcomed, and how much embarrassed Takumi was feeling lately. There was a little part of him that wanted to see Takumi in his clothes, of course, but besides the point he wanted all 6 of the housemates to go out together, and if that meant that Takumi had to wear Ren’s clothes then Ren would dressed him up so that no skin showed at all. 

“Okay,” Takumi said hesitantly, “If it's okay with you.”

Together, they walked past the members’ prying eyes in the living room and up to Ren’s room. It was still plain and neat, though that was to be expected as they haven't been here that long, unlike the mess of Takumi’s room as he made himself comfortable. Ren finally let go of Takumi to go to his dresser and pull out a pair of black sweatpants and a light blue shirt.

“I’ll let you get changed here,” Ren smiled shyly, before leaving his room and going downstairs to where the others sat patiently. 

Ren could tell Takumi was still debating wearing his clothes, though he knew he would wear them. And not even 5 minutes passed when Takumi came back down again, arms full of his pajamas, with Ren’s oversized shirt hanging on his shoulders that only Takumi could pull off. Ren thinks he should just give the whole outfit to Takumi, knowing he would never wear it again and feel good-looking, like how Takumi was now. 

Now that everyone was ready to go, The boys piled separately into the cars, with Junki, Ren, and Takumi in the Jeep, while Sho, Syoya and Keigo occupied the Chevrolet.

The eldest put the car into drive and pulled out of the garage, with Keigo messing with the channels on the ratio while Syoya was giggling in the backseat, staring out the window at the captivating scenery. They still couldn’t believe that they lived in such a grand house, something only celebrities were seen with. The young Syoya was only quiet when taking in his surroundings, absolutely floored every time he saw the house. He wondered if he would ever get used to it, and decided that he would never.

While the boys in the Chevrolet screamed One Okay Rock from the top of their lungs, windows down on the highway, the boys in the Jeep were much calmer and quiet. It was odd, to see Junki quiet, though the others assumed it was because he was in the driver's seat, probably trying more on concentrating driving rather than creating sound within the silence air. 

Takumi liked the silence. It was the first, non-awkward one since he arrived, for which he was grateful. He could breathe again, focusing on his new surroundings rather than trying to not embarrass himself, which was also heaven-sent for the young boy who always got himself in some sort of situation that always ended up with him blushing furiously and stammering his way out of any odd situation. Able to be free, the corners of his mouth curved up slightly as he looked out the window in the backseat of the Jeep, not noticing the two others peeking at him whenever they got a chance, captivated by his cute nature and shy personality. 

Ren didn’t like the silence almost as much as Junki didn’t, and that was really saying something. Junki was about to speak, but seeing Takumi’s face so soft in the rearview mirror he couldn;t bring himself to say something that would potentially change his demeanor. Ren felt the same way. So instead of singing along to the radio such as the other car, the three boys sat in peaceful silence, listening to the wind whip through the air from the open windows for the rest of the drive. 

Arriving just a half an hour later, the six boys scrambled out of the car and into the trampoline park, giddy and nervous at the same time. Rarely had any of them experienced the thrill of a trampoline, but knowing that they would explore and hang out as a group while just being themselves (since when can newbies look cool while on a trampoline?) was enough for them to step foot into the building. After signing the waiver to enter, the boys took off their shoes and looked around at the massive place, wondering where to start first. 

The obstacle course? The foam pit? The trampolines themselves, the boys didn’t know where to start, but didn’t have the heart to split up just yet and do what they want. 

Ren spotted the trampoline room, where not only the whole floor was full of them, but they also went up the walls as well. A mischievous glint sparked in his eyes as he spoke, igniting fear in the heart of their eldest. “I bet I can reach the top of that wall, I’ll race you!” The second oldest giggled as if he was the youngest, running off mid-sentence towards the large area. Junki yelled after him, complaining it wasn’t fair that he got a head start as he dashed off as well, bouncing high once he got next to Ren as they faced the wall together. 

“Don’t break your neck, you signed a waiver!” Sho called out after them, sighing in despair. Maybe it was a bad idea to come, but seeing the failures of Ren and Junki so far brought a smile to his face, he couldn’t help but laugh at their short statures that couldn’t reach the top.

What surprised the boys the most was when the model-like figure rushed past both the laughing figures who clutched their stomachs as they laid on the trampoline, as in one swift motion, he bounded up the side of the trampoline wall and just hit the top. Satisfied, Keigo lightly bounced down again and adjusted his shirt at the shoulders, giving a smirk to the two boys laying down.

Both Ren and Junki sputtered at Keigo, wondering how on earth he managed to reach the top before they did. Ren thought that he was the most athletic one, dancing for years and years on end as if he would die if he didn’t do what he loved. “That’s cheating! It’s ‘cause you’re so tall, that’s it!” Ren demands a rematch, throwing a child-like tantrum, confused more than ever. Frustrated, he ran his hands through his black hair, pulling at the strands at the back of his neck. 

Giggling like a schoolgirl, Keigo managed to get away from Ren’s grabbing hands and skipped over to the obstacle course instead. The older sighed in disbelief, staying seated while Junki got up and pouted. Seeing Ren so down, though, he began jumping up and down next to him, making Ren’s body jump along with him, even if he was still seated. Eventually Syoya joined in, laughing at the older ones and helping to annoy Ren, a pastime that he has learned to love. 

Takumi and Sho joined Keigo at the obstacle course, eyes darting across the whole course before coming to the start line. Sho hummed in approval, excited to test his skills as well. Taking pride in his muscles, he kissed each of his biceps before running across the angled boards and swinging onto the hanging ropes, flying through like a spider monkey. Takumi gagged at the action, hoping to never see that again. He wasn't very good at sports, as if not even having athletic clothes didn’t show it enough. The obstacle course made him feel like he was sticking out like a sore thumb, but he felt safe with Sho as he saw how swiftly the oldest managed to go through the course, showing his strength. Keigo whistled lowly as Sho stepped away from the last obstacle only a few minutes later, clapping his hands slowly as well. 

“Should I even bother trying now after that?” Keigo questioned his skills as he watched him. He could do the first obstacle, the boards didn’t look that hard, and maybe he could manage climbing across the ropes entangled within one another like a spider web, but looking at the hanging ropes his confidence deflated. 

Just then, two rambunctious kids ran by the three boys, tripping over one another to try and get to the start line first. It seemed like a competition between the two friends, on who would finish first. 

“Takeda-kun, stop cheating!” The slightly shorter one called out, grabbing the said boy - Takeda's - wrist, pulling him back as he cackled, taking off along the slanted boards. 

“H-hey! Aoki-kun, you can’t-” The boy yelled out in frustration, before taking off just after him, hoping not to lose precious time. The three older boys looked on with fondness, reminiscing their teenage years with their friends just as these two boys are doing. Not too long later, both boys panted heavily as they completed the course, Takeda finishing just a few seconds before his friend, screaming in victory. 

“I had you too! Those stupid hanging ropes,” Aoki pouted, a heated gaze set upon the treacherous ropes that had failed him. 

Takeda laughed, slowly getting up and putting his hand out. “I would like one coke please,” he smiled sweetly, excited that he won the bet. The other groaned, one hand grasping Takeda's wrist while the other got shoved into his pocket, supposedly scrounging up money for the coke. As the boys argued, eyes focused on only each other, they accidentally bumped into the three roommates.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! Please forgive my clumsiness!” The boys exclaimed after looking up at the older boys, bowing several times before the older ones said it was alright, and wished them to have more fun here at the trampoline park. The young boys scrambled away, still arguing with each other and the older ones looked on with fondness once again. Soon, they too wandered off, to the foam pit where they spotted Ren, Junki, and Syoya doing all sorts of flips into the foam pit. Ren’s contagious laugh could be heard from a mile away, bringing joy to everyone in the building who heard. 

They arrived just as Ren was taking a running start, jumped forcefully into the trampoline to project him high in the air, attempting 3 somersaults in the air. It was tricky, but with the way Ren was progressing he believed he could try, and it doesn’t hurt when you can land on a bunch of foam. In the middle of his second turn, a flash of pink stayed in his mind forever, as he got startled and landed into the foam pit on his head, scaring Sho to his inner core. Everyone rushed over to the pit, Junki laughing still from his failure, and everyone else mildly concerned, but couldn’t help but let out a laugh at his funny landing, or non-landing really. 

Ren resurfaced a few moments later gasping for air, legs and arms flailing about dramatically. 

He flicked his hair out of his eyes, seeing properly now the five faces that peered over the edge, eyes trained on the dancer. Flustered, his tan skin turned a light pink after feeling everyone’s eyes on him. He quickly assured the oldest of his perfectly healthy condition, twisting his head from side to side to demonstrate. Ren couldn’t believe he messed that up, he had it too. His heart still hadn’t stopped running a mile a minute after spotting the one he wanted to impress, and he blamed the pink haired boy, though only for a moment as he couldn’t be too mad at him. After all, he was the resident cute-boy of the house (even if he didn’t know it yet), and no one could stay mad at Takumi. 

Sho and Junki pulled Ren from the pit safely, albeit they fell over one another and made a Ren sandwich, bouncing on the trampoline below. 

Resident cute-boy quickly moved towards the trio, making sure no one was hurt as he saw them fall over each other. Giggling at their tangled limbs, he helped release them from this makeshift twister game and they all exited the foam pit, Sho making them promise they wouldn’t go back.


	4. Episode 4. "The Mask"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One Okay Rock - Wasted Nights

After a few more hours, the boys got all tired out, energy dwindling. Each agreed half-heartedly to leave the trampoline park, missing the fun laughs they all shared together, from watching Junki fall head over heels (literally) into the trampolines multiple times, to Syoya slipping under and tripping the other roommates. All sore and sweaty, they wondered where they could be taken to go for dinner. They simply cannot go out in public looking like this, hair wild with slight armpit stains. Looking at each other, the boys chuckled once again, wondering what to do about food. 

“Ah! I know, we can just order take out! Please, it’s on me,” Keigo offers, insistent on his helping out his friends. It wasn’t much, and he knows that money doesn’t buy happiness, but buying food makes his roommates happy so isn’t it the same thing?

On the ride home, the group chat between the six of them blew up with food suggestions for Keigo to look through and order. They settled on traditional though various types of sushi, much to the expense of Keigo’s wallet.

By the time Keigo ordered, everyone had taken their fair share of shower time (with only two regular style bathrooms, and one bathtub in the house, they had to take turns), dinner arrived mere minutes after everyone sat together in the living room. 

“Oh Keigo-kun, this is delicious!” Junki kept telling him over and over, as if it was Keigo who cooked the meal. 

“Shut it, weirdo,” the younger retaliated, bumping shoulders with Junki and he went on eating his Makizushi. They continued this playful dynamic, Junki acting sweet and singing Keigo’s name, thanking him for the delicious meal while Keigo kept getting more annoyed by the cute act, rolling his eyes. Eventually, he shoved one of Junki’s sushi rolls in his mouth just to quiet the younger, and it seemingly worked for the time being, much to the satisfaction of Keigo's ears and diminishing headache. 

Junki huffed, but then was distracted by the delicious flavors of the sushi that he was quite alright for the time being. The rest looked on at their antics with equal amounts of fondness and annoyance. 

The ever bubbly youngest roommate bounced with excitement as he scrolled through his favorite movies after everyone finished their meal, trying to pick the perfect one to show his friends for the first time. If he chose wrong, it may be all downhill from there. He didn’t like that idea riding on his shoulders, so he looked through each movie carefully, much to the annoyance of some of the older members as they waited for Syoya. 

“But I want you to like the movie, don’t rush me,” he whined, scrolling through a few more before gasping dramatically and coming to a stop on one movie - The Mask. Giddy in his seat, Syoya exclaimed that they would watch this one, the perfect mixture of horror, mystery, and comedy as the main character solves a murder mystery about his best friend. 

The one who wasn’t giddy about this movie selection was Takumi. He absolutely hated horror movies, to the point that if he were forced to watch one he would definitely watch it in the middle of the day with all the lights turned on, back pressed tight against the couch (which was also moved till it comes in contact with the wall) with lots of blankets around him if he needed to cover his eyes. Syoya promised funny moment, but that doesn’t make Takumi feel any better than it did before. Everyone knows that the negatives always, ALWAYS, outweighs the positive, happy moments. But he wasn’t going to object, no, because he had to overcome this fear. So all day, he tried to forget that he would be watching a horror movie at night with his housemates. Maybe it would be better that they’re there with him, though he feeds off of reactions as well. If they get scared and scream, Takumi may just as well faint. No, he wouldn’t let them know. When asked about the blankets in his firm grasp, he said he got cold at night easily. When curling slowly up into a ball leaning into Sho slowly with every aganising minute passing by, he said that he was just getting sleepy from the energy-draining day and stuffing himself with food.

His face forced a small smile, only at the expense of Syoya so if he happened to look behind him at the members sprawled across the couch and on the floor in front, he wouldn’t feel bad.

The movie started with the infamous low rumblings that all horror movies had, instilling fear deep inside Takumi. The first scene wasn’t so bad, just a chat among old friends, assuming one was the main character and the other was the victim, though even with the cheery background and bright colors, the low haunting music gave it an overall eerie vibe that Takumi couldn’t place, which scared him even more. He didn’t like this uncertainty, and of not knowing if there will be jumpscares, gore, or if it’s just a psychological thriller. Instead, his eyes drifted to the others across the room, which was easy as Takumi was one of the farthest from the tv, sat in the corner of the couch and could look at the surroundings easier than anyone else without getting caught.

So, Takumi tried his hardest to drown out the noise of the tv as he glanced among his new roommates, how the moonlight entered the side of the house and bounced off the skin of each person’s face. The moonlight softened Sho’s already delicate features, showing off how high his cheekbones really were. Takumi admired the way Keigo’s eyes shone in the moonlight, brightly lit unlike how dark his eyes were during the day. Junki and Syoya leaned against one another, hair so dark Takumi couldn’t tell where Junki’s head ended and Syoya started. Lastly, his gaze settled on Ren, another dark-haired male. It seemed everyone in the house had dark hair, unlike himself. He wondered if he should dye his hair back to his natural color. 

Ren got him curious, though. Takumi thought he belonged to the nighttime. Sitting on the other side of Sho, Takumi had a clear view of Ren’s side of the face, whose eyes were staring attentively at the tv. Takumi gawked, not daring to take his eyes away. He imagined what it would be like to be outside at night with Ren, looking up at the stars. He would glance over, taking in his dark skin that reflected in just the right way with the moonlight, eyes dancing from star to star, pointing out different constellations. Takumi pictured Ren as a thrill seeker, coming alive at night, every aspect of him becoming even more alive and bright. If the day had the sun, then the night had Ren. It was obvious. 

He shook his head, willing his racing heart to calm as he instead tried to imagine how the upcoming week would be, when his roommates were off at work or school. What would he do? Currently not having a job, he should start looking at hiring places in the area, but what should he even do? He shouldn’t be a waiter, no he is too clumsy for that. He was too shy around people as well, so maybe retail isn’t the best either. He could-

Screams filled the room suddenly, bursting the peaceful bubble of thought Takmi had made in his mind. The main character had found his best friend, dead, and was crying out his lungs over the lost. Takumi whimpered, closing his eyes to not look at the blood pooling around the victim’s head or the pained expression on his friend’s face. No one heard him, however, as he was drowned out by the crying coming from the tv. 

It was like a contest between the main character and Takumi. Who could cry the loudest. Except, Takumi didn’t want to be the loudest. He didn't want to be heard at all. 

More heartbreaking than horror, Takumi still closed his eyes and curled into himself, blanket covering up until it was just under his nose. If anyone saw the few teardrops that escaped and rolled down his cheeks, no one said anything. 

It wasn’t until halfway through the movie when Takumi managed to move the blanket down so his whole face showed, though it was still nestled tightly underneath his chin. Everyone had been laughing for a while now, at the little jokes and slapstick comedy that was thrown in here or there, so he felt just a tiny bit more comfortable to pay attention to the movie. He would feel bad if Syoya asked how everyone liked it, and Takumi couldn’t say anything since he just couldn’t bring himself to watch.

Again, though, as expected from a horror movie there was another loud sound, created by the banging open of a door, followed by eerie music that sends chills up your spine. The noises got louder, all of them blurring into one giant blast of sound to where Takumi couldn’t distinguish what sound was coming from where, or how it was happening. He gasped loudly, taking his blanket and covered his whole head this time, rubbing furiously at his ears. Since when did Syoya put the volume up so high?

Arms wrapped strongly around the younger, pulling him to the other’s side in a protective embrace. Quiet mutterings were said into the boy’s ear, hoping to calm him down. Sho didn’t know that Takumi reacts like this to horror movies. With no objects at the beginning of the day, he assumed that everyone would be fine. Turns out, Takumi was one of the people that does not like this adrenaline rush of emotions. 

Syoya quickly muted the tv as everyone turned towards Takumi and Sho after hearing the distressed sound the small boy made. Confusion and sorrow hung like a dark question in the air as the room became silent. No one dared breathe, for fear of further scaring the soft boy. It took minutes before Takumi calmed down, though he was still breathing heavily, trying to imagine all the fun laughs he had during the day, and not the blood and gore from the movie. Even with the distraction of Sho, it didn’t work as well as intended. 

Takumi slowly came to be again, and noticed that the room was void of sound. It could only mean one thing, the very thing Takumi didn’t wish for to happen. It angered him, that he couldn’t keep his feelings inside and his mouth shut. His roommates just wanted to have this fun bonding experience of watching the movie. They could lean on one another when things got too scary, and could also share a few laughs along the way, but Takumi’s mind was reeling the whole time with scary, scary, scary, SCARY!

The other housemates didn’t dare say anything to Takumi, not until he lifted his head and was ready to face the concerned faces. 

He mumbled a soft apology into Sho’s shoulder, barely audible to where Sho almost mistaken it for a sniffle. The oldest ruffled the scared boy’s head, pulling away gently to ask what was wrong.

“Horror movies aren’t really my thing . . . I thought I could try this time, but . . .” Takumi trailed, barely echoing off the walls of the spacious living room. He really wanted to too, for Syoya and his other roommates, and for himself. To get over his stupid fear. It even had funny, relief parts during the movie but no matter what, he just couldn’t stand how his heart jumped up into his throat with every scream, and the way his blood chilled at seeing the malicious murders and gore that are ever so present in every horror scene. 

Syoya couldn’t stop apologizing enough to Takumi for scaring him so bad. He should have seen it, not that many people were into horror movies, and there were always tell tale signs but he missed them, having too much fun with his roommates and being so excited. “I’m sorry, I really am,” he kept apologizing, offering a more happier genre if Takumi wanted. 

Honestly, Syoya talking was like jumping through hoops the way his words spilled out of him, trying to make up for his mistake. It was enough to make Takumi smile and let out a breathy laugh, making everyone else in the room sigh in relief. 

Junki quickly clamored up onto the other side of Takumi, hugging him furiously as he grabbed the remote from Syoya and offered it to Takumi, encouraging him to pick another movie before they all head to bed. Takumi chose an American comedy movie for the time being, hoping to get lost in the words that he doesn’t know too well for background noise and calm himself. He always loved to watch movies from different countries, they always have a calming effect. 

As the movie began, a soft glow of light emitted from the other side of the room. Takumi glanced over, locking eyes with Ren who was seated next to the now lit lamp.


	5. Episode 5. "Soft Play"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lord Huron - The Night We Met

One movie turned into two, which quickly turned into three, until most of the boys fell asleep halfway through the third, limbs stretched over each other in the living room and snores emitting every few minutes. Takumi noticed how most of the boys dozed off during the middle of the movie, but that was expected for it being almost two in the morning. He himself was sleepy, sure, but not nearly enough to try to fall asleep himself. He figures it would be a waste to keep the tv on, and deciding to not want to continue to watch another movie on his own (assuming he was up alone), Takumi reached his hand out to grab the remote just as another did the same, almost making the younger scream once again. 

“Oh!” He contained his surprise in a whisper, hastily retreating his hand back to himself. Looking up, once again he locked eyes with the seemingly glowing-at-night, Kawarishi Ren. 

“So you’re still up too? I just had to see how that movie ended,” Ren chuckled, making light conversation with the younger. He smiled softly back, chuckling, “yeah, it’s one of my favorite movies. I think one of the best cinematic plot twists of all time.”

“Seriously! I was definitely getting the bad vibes, but I never thought it would end up like that! She was my favorite too,” Ren pouted cutely, throwing his hands up lightly. Takumi laughed at the gesture softly, trying not to wake up the housemates.

“She deserved better,” he whined, “but they’re coming out with a second movie soon too. I wonder what they’re going to do next with it,” Takumi trailed off, lost in thought. Next thing he knows, his stomach growls loudly, interrupting his thoughts. He exclaimed in surprise, quickly covering his stomach in embarrassment. Surely not moving for the past few hours hasn’t worked up that big of an appetite, right?

Ren looked at the pink-haired male with wide, shining eyes as he stifled a laugh, amused at the difference from this boy to the one he saw not too long ago. He slowly got up from his spot, easing his way around Sho (who was almost leaning on him on the couch), and stepping over Syoya and Keigo, both fast asleep in positions that will definitely leave them sore tomorrow morning. 

“I don’t know about you, but I’m a little hungry. Do you want to eat something and go to the playroom upstairs? I’m not sleepy either, and I don’t want to disturb the others,” Ren questioned as he got closer, tilting his head innocently towards the kitchen. This made Takumi smile, grateful to the older. He slowly pushed Junki off of him and settled him down on the couch besides Sho, afterwards following Ren into the kitchen.

They each grabbed a small portion of food (for Takumi, he wanted cereal, and for Ren, a package of pocky), sneaking past the sleeping boys on their way upstairs. Neither of the boys have been into the playroom yet, just like how no one else visited either, too busy being around each other to really explore the house. 

“Eh? It’s big in here, there’s so much room!” both of the boys exclaimed as they opened the door quietly, taking in the soft cushions covering most of the floor, along with couch pillows and blankets decorating the sides. Across from them stood tall a large flat screen, perfect for a large crowd of people, but even better for a select few. They walked into the room slowly, taking in every inch of the room. It was the perfect romantic setup for a date - not that the thought crossed the boys’ minds at the same time. Their feet glided over the hardwood floor, soon making contact with the plush cushions and Takumi instantly melted into the ground. Watching the show for a while, he always dreamed of having a room such as this wherever he would live, with the floor practically made of pillows. Finally experiencing this was like heaven.

Ren was curious about the boy that sat in front of him now. He was curled up in a soft blanket, munching on his cereal as he avoided eye contact shyly. It was a comfortable silence, though, for which both boys were grateful.

“I haven’t talked much with you yet,” Ren spoke, a hint of sadness lacing his voice. Like the other boys in the house, he felt a sense of protectiveness over the soft boy (even Syoya, who often was just as childlike as Takumi) and wanted to know what was going through his mind at all times. 

Takumi hummed in agreement. He hasn’t talked much with anyone, besides Junki and Sho. Afterall, he was extremely shy and introverted. With this acknowledgement from Ren, he felt he needed to come out of his shell, even if just a little bit.

“I do tend to be shy . . .” He trailed, eyes still on his cereal that he has been forgetting to eat, but playing with it instead. “It’s kind of a bad habit,” he chuckled to himself.

“Maybe,” Ren started, “is that the reason for applying? And coming to Terrace House?” He inquired, hoping to make the most of his alone time with the boy. Once again, Takumi hummed in agreement. He wasn’t good with words, mulling over them and taking extra care before anything slipped past his lips. 

“Yeah. My life so far has been so static, I feel like I’m doing nothing important. Nothing is changing, and I wanted a change, even if it would kill me. And honestly, it’s been fun so far but at the same time it was so hard for me to apply, and come here, and now even talking to you,” Takumi confessed, so painfully shy that he missed out on so much of his younger years. He swore to himself that the cycle would break, and that time is now. Talking to Junki and Sho was comforting, but with Ren it was refreshing. Something new, and he could tell they would be close. Late night talks like these always makes those talking become closer.

Ren didn’t like that it was hard for Takumi to talk to him, but he once knew what it was like to be painfully shy. In elementary school, Ren always stuck to himself, hoping that one day he could make friends but never dared to make the first move himself. Once he picked up dance, that was where he could truly express himself, and he is now forever grateful for the act of dancing.

“I’m glad you’re here, though, Takumi-kun,” Ren wanted to spill everything out to the younger, but for fear of scaring him off he didn’t.

“Enough about me though, what about you? I mean, why did you apply?” Even if it felt nice - coming from Ren, a small voice in the back of his mind interrupted - Takumi wanted the attention off of him.

Takumi could see Ren smiling lightly at him as the moonlight filtered through the halfway-closed blinds, and it made his chest ache with something so unfamiliar. 

“Actually, I wasn’t the one who applied. My older brother did for me, secretly of course. I could have beat him up when I found out what he did,” Ren chuckled at the memory. He wasn’t mad, per se, but he didn’t like it when others did things for him without his knowledge or permission. Ren thought his life was perfect. He loved teaching the younger kids at his dance studio, and has been since he moved to Tokyo a couple of years ago. The friends he met were warm and inviting, and although he was just a backup dancer, he was still doing what he loved and making a living. Ren didn’t speak to his brother for a week after finding out. He didn’t know what was going through his head; maybe he wanted to see Ren get famous, or develop oh-so-needed relationships (he hasn’t had a date in years), but Ren couldn’t understand. So after fuming in his studio apartment alone, he switched over to really questioning what about him that made his brother fill out that application for him. Was he a bad person that needed a change? What was that change? It took a while as Ren carefully observed his actions over the next week, comparing himself to his friends, coworkers, even participants of previous shows. It wasn’t until he mustered up the courage to talk to his brother was when he really found out. 

Ren’s brother was worried about him. Sure, he was doing fine in Tokyo, but he could tell his little brother was losing motivation. He knew that teaching dance wasn’t as much of a passion of his as it is to be up on stage - not behind others, but in the forefront, wanting to hear his name being screamed rather than the artist’s he was backing. Ren was a very accepting person, not pushy by any means. He hoped that the dancer could find a new inspiration, a new passion at the house to make his life more meaningful again. 

Ren will be forever grateful to his brother, even if he had a hard time coming to terms with how his brother saw him. He never thought he lost motivation, but instead was too scared to go that extra step to chase his dreams. He worried over the young kids he was teaching, sad to hand them over to another instructor. Scared that if he were to leave and pursue what he wanted, how he would keep up with rent, food, and all the other necessities for living a comfortable life. 

“Long story short I guess I need to find what I am truly passionate about, what inspires me. I hope to find that amongst the roommates, that they can help me and teach me things about myself that I never noticed before. Life’s all about learning, isn’t it? About the world, others, yourself?” Ren concluded, eyes passionate as he recounted what his brother had told him. 

For only knowing Ren for only just over 24 hours, Takumi could tell Ren was enthusiastic about life; always grinning from ear to ear, laughing with that oh-so-contagious high-pitched laugh that has everyone else doubling over along with him. Seeing Ren reminiscing on the past about his brother, and knowing how others see him made the younger want to tell him that 'no, you’re perfect! You’re so full of life, I can tell what really means a lot to you', but for only knowing Ren for 24 hours it would be too much to say such a thing. So instead he nods in agreement.

“Takumi-kun,” Takumi loved the way his name rolled off of Ren’s tongue like that, “I’m curious. What is it about flowers that you like so much? You mentioned them yesterday.”

It was silent for a minute, Takumi thinking (he is always thinking).

“I guess it started when I was younger. I mentioned I used to dance, in elementary school, and I loved doing it too. After my performances, my grandparents would always come and bring me flowers, praising my hard work and performance. My grandmother loved flowers too. Always would tell me the meaning of them in great detail after my performances, and all I could do was listen to her as I caught my breath,” the nostalgia made Takumi smile fondly, a far away look in his eyes.

“I remember the first flower she got me. It was a single red tupid, at my very first performance. She said it symbolizes eternal love, though also of fame in Japanese culture. She told me that I was brilliant, and she loved me dearly. From then on, I always got a different flower from her. I don’t know how she knew all of this, but she never owned a flower shop. It was her dream,” the pink-haired boy smiled sadly. “She still gives them to me, even after all of these years. Before I left to come here, she gave me a pink rose, wishing me trust and happiness.” 

Ren stared intently at Takumi as he listened to his heartfelt words. He appreciated his grandmother’s gesture of flowers, thinking it was a really beautiful way of sharing feelings to one another, and wondered what made Takumi stop dancing.

“I wanted to bring the flower with me, but it’s staying at my house for now. Usually, I try to keep the flowers alive for as long as I can, until they wilt. Then I press them flat in a little notebook, I brought it with me too. I didn’t want to kill the rose, so . . .” Takumi trailed, fingering the loose thread of his blanket. 

“I think that’s beautiful,” Ren uttered softly. He was glad Takumi could open up with him, and this seemed like such an important topic for Takumi as well. “Maybe you should open up a flower shop! It seems to mean a lot to you, and it could be like connecting more with your grandmother, you said she could never follow through with her dream. Yes, it’s a perfect match for you,” Ren suddenly suggested, thinking back on the conversation. Takumi said he didn’t have a job coming here, and with this background he must be so passionate and knowledgeable about flowers, Ren believed it was a perfect match; a soft, flower-like boy becoming the owner of a flower shop.

“A-ah, no! I couldn’t, I don't know nearly as much as flowers and plants as my grandmother does, ah . . .” the boy’s cheeks became the same color as his hair quickly. He hoped that in the dark, Ren couldn’t see the bright flush. His hands came up to his face, hiding it anyways. Ren laughed at the cute reaction, and reached out to pull his hands away. He liked looking at Takumi’s face, and felt that he couldn’t hold a proper conversation without seeing it. 

“Then become a part-timer first, but Takumi-kun. I think this is your calling,” Ren said in such a serious tone that Takumi locked eyes with him for several moments, almost seriously considering. 

Ren giggled upon seeing the serious expression on Takumi’s face, breaking his serious act as his face crumpled into a wide grin. 

“Heyy, d-don’t play with me like that!”

But Takumi couldn’t help but to smile as well when hearing that angelic laugh. Soon, both were doubled over, so close and yet still having just enough distance to barely touch. Ren’s face came so close without even realizing, Takumi scrambled up and cleared his throat after they locked eyes - for the millionth time that night - thoroughly embarrassed (for no reason, because really, Ren liked being that close to Takumi too). Adjusting their seating again, though slightly closer than before, Ren wanted to keep this conversation going. 

“Flowers are cute though. Have you- have you ever confessed with them?” After all, Terrace House was also infamous for seeing multiple successful romances over the years, one of the main reasons for some participants to come onto the show. 

Takumi laughed nervously, shaking his head as he ran his hands through his hair towards his eyes, hoping his bangs could cover his whole face. Ren smiled at the adorable reaction, pulling his knees up as he waited for the answer. 

“I . . . no, I haven’t. It may be a shock, but there aren’t that many people who like flowers. Plus, I could never ask someone out, I’m much too nervous of a person,” his voice shook as his heart started to beat rapidly. Takumi’s crushes only stayed as that - crushes. Out of his 21 years of life, the pink-haired boy hasn’t asked anyone out, too nervous of rejection. 

“If I’m being painfully honest,” Takumi’s voice strained, “I’m not really . . . experienced, in dating,” he said shyly.

Something in Ren sparked. He wasn’t sure if he felt pity for the boy, to never experience romantic love, or if he was relieved that no one else came close to the precious boy. 

“If I’m being honest too,” Ren started, “I’m afraid of love too.”

Ren dated, sure. He wasn’t the most experienced, but he had a girlfriend here, a boyfriend there. Mostly, though, Ren stayed friends. It was what he was comfortable with. Friends don’t leave, they’re not complicated, and it’s easy with friends. Even when Ren had a crush, the more he hung out with them the more that crush diminished. It wasn’t abnormal per se, but it happened so many times that Ren wondered if there was something wrong with him. Was he too picky? Did he give off the wrong vibe? Did he jump to conclusions too fast because of appearance? Soon, Ren became self-conscious of love, and quickly put that out of his mind. He believed he would never find true love, that ever liking someone would only result in friendship, so he never tried again. It was pointless.

“I’m scared of a one-sided love. I’m scared of falling out of love, too. It happens more often than one would think,” he laughed almost bitterly, a new side of Ren for only Takumi to see. 

Takumi leaned over slightly, not liking this vulnerable side of Ren that he’s never seen before. He could tell something happened, but still not quite sure what.

“Do you think we can find love here?” Takumi breathed out.

He wants to fall. He truly wants to fall in love for the first time, with the little skips of the heartbeat, his stomach twisting torturously inside of him, just to feel that spark ignited between him and his lover. He wants to feel so comfortable with someone, to share all his fears and desires. He’s imagined cute little dates, ones where they go to the amusement park and ride on roller coasters and then would play games and win prizes for each other. Or possibly the cute home dates of setting up a romantic movie, while making dinner with each other, definitely eating way more while making it rather than after it was finished. He wanted all the excitement that one would get when their partner surprised them with a gift. He wanted that person all to himself, holding hands as they walked along the streets, feeding each other in restaurants, showing his lover off to all of his friends proudly, screaming to the universe that 'this person is my world, my forever' as they hold hands, laying in the grass together on a hot summer's eve. Even if it was scary, Takumi really wanted to move in, meet the family, and grow old together - cheesy, he knows. Pouring out all of his feelings, what he wants most is to feel vulnerable with someone else, to kiss them endlessly, to know he was worth something. He may not have said this, but Takumi poured each and every one of these feelings into that one question, baring his soul at 3 in the morning - since when did it get to be 3 in the morning? - with hope shining in his eyes, to which Ren’s heart skipped several beats. 

“I know so.”


	6. Episode 6. "Candy"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elo ft Penomeco, Gray - Love?

Unbeknownst to the two boys sleeping upstairs, chaos ensued downstairs as one by one, each of the roommates woke up on this particularly chilly Sunday morning.

Sho was the first, back arching like a cat as he raised his arms over his head. Amidst the glorious stretch, his feet made contact with Junki, effectively knocking the boy halfway over the couch. Both boys awoke in a panic, Junki’s hands crushing underneath his head as he braced for impact on the solid ground, while Sho bolted upright, fearing what he kicked and also the screech that came from the young boy’s mouth. 

And just like that, a domino effect has occurred. Instead of solid ground, Junki found himself falling on top of a sleeping Keigo, who grumbled and pushed the older boy off of him once he came to it, muttering angry insults as he tried but failed to go back to sleep. The screech woke Syoya as well, who squirmed in his half-conscious state, stretching his limbs in agony from his uncomfortable sleeping position. In less than ten minutes, a seemingly innocent way of waking up has now angered more than half of the house. With the three youngers boys fighting amongst their selves, rubbing way the pain in their bodies, Sho looked on with slight amusement. As long as they didn't turn their heads towards the eldest, he was fine.

That is, until he got an empty feeling in his stomach. Looking 'round the room, it was unusually quiet, even for it being the three arguing from the floor. That's when Sho realized that there was only three on the floor, instead of five. Ren and Takumi were missing, and it's been only day and a half since everyone arrived. There's no way they could have gone missing, right? Where were they?

"H-hey, guys?" She called out tentatively, still frantically looking around. "Have you seen Ren and Takumi? They fell asleep down here, right?" 

That got the other boys' attention off of themselves for a moment as they, too, glance around the room. And no, there was no sign of the pink-haired boy, and also not from the tan dancer either. 

"How peculiar," Syoya smirked.

Junki smacked the youngest on the back of the head lightly, telling him to get rid of his thoughts before he stood up and walked around. 

"You think they're in their rooms? I can go check," Junki asked, already headed to the door belonging to the younger. There was no answer, even after knocking for a few times.

"No luck? Ren isn't in his room either," Keigo came downstairs, more confused than ever. The boys scratched their heads, wondering where they might be. While the house was big, there weren't that many rooms to hide in. 

"Wait! We forgot the most important room of them all!" Sho exclaimed, then looked straight at Syoya with a slightly disappointed expression. "I hope you're wrong."

Syoya sputtered, wondering what he was talking about, when Sho mentioned the playroom, glancing upstairs. The boys all made an affirmative sound of understanding, before squealing and hollering. That is, until Sho quieted them down, reminding them that the boys could still be asleep. After all, it was still early in the morning. Thus, the boys began their dangerous adventure upstairs, creeping along the railing as to not make a sound. Looking behind him, the oldest put a finger to his lips before coming in contact with the door to the playroom, praying to whoever was up there that the boys were at least wearing clothes. 

Creaking the door open just enough for his own head to look inside - god knows he doesn't want to let the other boys see 'things' and tease the couple if things were to go down - and found perhaps the most adorable scene he has ever witnessed. It was enough to make him audibly coo out loud, looking at the two sleeping figures as they were curled up in their own blankets, heads barely touching as they lay down. Their faces are soft, somehow Takumi's even more so than during the day, and it made Sho want to hold them in his arms and never let them leave. As quiet as mice, the three others followed inside, inwardly cooing as well. Not wanting to disturb their peace, Sho shooed the boys out, wondering if he should take the pocky stick packaging and the cereal bowl. Deciding against it, he thought that it might be embarrassing if they woke and noticed something was different, telling them that they've been caught.

An hour later, the boys came down the stairs one by one, quiet and flushed. 

"I hope your night was well," Syoya slyly teased the older two, laughing when Junki hit him once again. 

Takumi squeaked, hiding behind his hands as Ren grinned, fiddling with his sleeves. "Nothing happened, we were just still up after the movie ended and didn’t want to disturb you guys," he explained quickly, hoping that Takumi will come out of hiding so he can see his face once again.

Everyone else hummed in feigned acknowledgment, much overexaggerated to the boys if they were asked. Even so, the boys talked some more, before agreeing to get ready and take another trip into town, specifically to eat at cute little cafes and walk around downtown. It was an abnormally chilly day, but maybe that was because it was unusually windy. 

Arriving downtown, the boys parked and walked huddled together, bracing the wind as they came across the first café and stumbled inside. After ordering drinks and food - lattes and coffees for everyone except Syoya, who ordered a tea, with various muffins and pastries - the boys sat down at a large table, just talking about nonsense and getting to know each other's personalities. The boys surprisingly clicked well with one another, uncommon for most of the previous seasons where there is always some sort of conflict going on. 

Figuring out each other's schedules for the upcoming week, all the boys planned on meeting up as a group again at Keigo's runway the following weekend, when all of them would have the same free time. It was a given that Keigo turned out to be a model. With his charming good looks and expensive taste, the boys wouldn’t be able to guess what else Keigo would be doing, if anything. Keigo was happy, though, that he could have friends come and see his runway. With how busy his family and friends have become nowadays, he doesn't mind the quiet after the runway but he misses the support. The other boys showered him with compliments, promising to attend every single fashion show that the black-haired one decides to model at, and buying every single magazine to which his face appears in. 

"I promise to shower you with all the love I can offer!" Junki exclaimed, giving his friend a thumbs up.

"Speaking of love," Syoya brought up - the mischievous little student loves to keep everyone on edge - in hopes to start up that always awkward conversation as to why they really came to Terrace House, and who they want to meet. We all know that Terrace House is basically a reality dating show, right?

"I'm really curious about Yonashiro-kun," he continued, much to the surprise of the said man as he choked on his coffee. "Why kind of person do you like?"

Caught off guard, Sho smiled awkwardly, wondering how to state his preferences.

"Well, I like someone that I can take care of. Someone with a warm heart, that I can call home," Sho got lost in thought, reminiscing about his past partners. Why none of them ever ended on a bad note, Sho could never make them last. Maybe he was too picky, but he always loved his past boyfriends wholeheartedly. "I want to hear about Keigo's past life love, though. I feel like he would have some really interesting stories."

The model sighed as all eyes turned towards him. "Well, there was one guy, a year or so ago," Keigo stretched his turtleneck. "I thought he was really cute, nice and charming too. For weeks I worked up the courage to ask him out. We went for a movie and dinner, but he declined to eat with me after the movie ended. Since I put down a reservation, I would feel bad for not keeping it, so I went and ate by myself," his face got all red as he recounted the story to his roommates, feeling embarrassment all over again. Sho wrapped an arm around Keigo's shoulder, as the other boys reached out with their apologies, wondering how on earth someone could stand up the Sato Keigo. 

"If I ever see him I'll beat him up," Junki puffed out his chest, making the most exaggerated mean face he could.

"But you don't even know what he looks like!"

"I don't have to. I'll just know," the older smirks.

Soon the other boys shared their interests too. Junki needs someone mature, who can handle his immaturity, but also someone who can play with him too from time to time, and just have fun with. Syoya shared that he usually falls for the cute boys he can take care of, but is open to anything and anyone. Despite being the youngest, it was discovered that he, in fact, was the one who has the most experience with (successful) dates. 

"What about the barista, he's kinda cute, no?" Sho nodded towards the counter at the brown-haired boy. Syoya hummed, mulling over his features before replying.

"I'm not sure. He seems kind of intimidating, and I think I'm too happy for that," and then he notices Takumi's gaze lingering for just a beat longer than necessary (or maybe two or three), and squeals in delight, always the first to happily point out embarrassing details.

"I think he might be Takumi's type though," he sipped his tea.

Takumi's head whipped around so fast he had to place his hand on his head to stop his beret from falling off. Sputtering, Takumi mumbling that he 'didn’t know what Syoya was talking about' and he 'wasn't his type anyway'. He didn't dare look at anyone in the eye. 

"Not your type? So who is, then?" Junki perked up like a dog at this new information, jumping on the let's-embarrass-Takumi bandwagon. "Is it the other barista? Or maybe a customer, hmm . . ."

"S-shut up, I didn't-" the younger whined, stumbling over his words. Love was always a bad topic with Takumi, hard to figure out and even harder to pursue. It was even more embarrassing that he talked about exactly this with Ren last night, as he so vividly remembers. 

"Okay Strawberry Shortcake," Junki sang, "but if you were to pick one, who would it be? Like, what's your type?" 

Takumi blushed at the endearing nickname. "Well, I never thought I had a type either. I think it comes more from the feeling I get when I'm with the person, it doesn't matter who," he replied, eyes trained on his almost finished latte. He was sure it would be cold by now, considering how long the boys have stayed for. Time got away quickly from them as they chatted, and no one noticed. "I want him to be his own person too with goals and ambition, unique and independent. Someone who I can lean on," continuing on, more attributes coming to mind. 

All the other boys hum in agreement. 

"And Ren?"

"I like my boys sweet, like candy."


	7. Episode 7. "Teasing"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souly Had - Crush

Ren tugged a simple loose fitted white t-shirt over his head as he got ready early in the morning. Spotting his black sneakers by the door, he quickly grabbed them before stumbling out of his bedroom and down the stairs, quickly whipping up a fast and easy breakfast he can take with him on the run. 

It was a quiet Tuesday morning as Ren bustled around the kitchen. Being up so early had its perks, as Ren was alone and could do as he pleased, with the condition of being quiet as not to wake up the others of course. There was coffee in the coffeemaker, and eggs cooking on the frying pan as Ren poked his head in the fridge, looking for some stray veggies to add to his breakfast. As much as he was having fun with his roommates the past week, Ren was also excited to go back to work. Today he had dance practice mid-morning, and then taught in the afternoon with his middle schoolers. He missed seeing his form in the mirror as he practiced, missed the sound of sneakers squeaking and slapping the ground with intensity at every twist and turn. 

After scarfing down his breakfast and putting his coffee in a mug, Ren stood in front of the chalkboard. It was finally his time to put up a message, and he was excited. He always wondered what his first message would be, but since he is only going to work it isn't the exciting as his first message. So, in neat handwriting, he wrote 'Off to work, won't be back until nighttime!'

Hiking his sports bag up onto his shoulder, he grabbed his house key, fingering his name engraved into the gold flower-like shape. He smiled at the thought.

It was a long ride for Ren to be going from Nagano to Tokyo multiple times a week. Fortunately, his teaching classes were only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, though his dance schedule for himself was never consistent. At the moment, he was just learning random dances here and there, but there have been talk of new artists and famous ones as well coming to Japan for performances that his company wants to jump at the chance of getting their dancers on stage. He hoped that once he got to Tokyo, he could be assigned to something more important. 

He was out the door just as the sun was fully peeking over the horizon. It was a comfortable walk from the base of his house to the main road, where he hailed a taxi taking him to the train station. 

2 hours and an empty mug later, Ren stepped off the train and into the ever so comfortable feeling of the mid-morning rush of Tokyo. Pure happiness overcame him as his company's building came into view. He could already hear the stomps of feet in synchronization, the music so loud that he physically felt it keep his heart beating. Every time he set foot into the studio, it was like the first time. Sometimes, he doesn't know what his brother was talking about, but maybe it was a bad thing that he has come somehow content with this day to day (even if it does excite him every time).

Even though he was the farthest away now, he was still the first to arrive at the studio - and a full 20 minutes before the actual set meeting time too. Feeling the need to not waste any time, he set his bag down and hooked his phone to the speaker. He stretched to various American artists, head bumping silently to the music as he felt the burn on his legs as he reached to the floor, extending his arms as far as they could go. Ren was pretty flexible, able to place his palms flat out onto the ground. While in the middle of placing his left arm over his head, the door opened to a few more of the trainees.

"There's our golden boy!" The fading red-head exclaimed, coming over to Ren to give him a good hair ruffle. 

"Hey! I did my hair today too!" Ren fake whined at he older, tossing his head back to get rid of the bangs laying in his eyes. 

The other snorted, moving away to put his bag down and replace his phone with Ren's. It was always like this, Ren would come in early and stretch, or maybe get loose by dancing before the other trainees entered. Then as everyone piled into the room, the red-haired boy always unplugged Ren's phone with his as he loves being in control of the music. 

"Kosuke-kun, at least let the song finish!" The younger pouted, wanting to listen to the soothing voice of Joji as he finished his warm up. Said boy - Kosuke - stuck out his tongue and denied, once again a regular occurrence between the two. 

"Ren, just give up. Kosuke-kun is so stubborn, you're never going to win," the other trainee who entered with Kosuke stated, smirking at their antics. 

"You know just as well that I am just as stubborn as that one, Fumiya," Ren huffed, but eventually accepted that he will never be able to finish that song. Heart broken, he joins the other trainees as they begin their stretching too, the three of them making a straight line in the mirror. 

"How was the ride over, golden boy?" Kosuke teased, excited to hear about the recent move-in with one of his favorite shows. He cannot wait to listen to the commentators commenting on Ren's life, because he knows just as well that he will be doing the same thing along with them. He laughed brightly as Ren's face lit up, turning the same color as his own hair. "So it's going well yet? Have you met someone special?" He pried further, with a Fumiya echoing along with him.

"The house is great," Ren hummed, moving to sit on the practice room floor for more leg stretches. The others follow suit, waiting for him to elaborate. 

"Everyone is really nice so far. We had some fun roommate bonding time over the weekend too," he recounted the details to the others, both of them laughing at Ren's foam pit failure, and 'aww'ing over Keigo's failed date. 

"Roommates are nice and all," his blue-haired friend interrupted, "but what I really want to know is if you have a crush," the younger smirked, never the one to beat around the bush. 

A crush? Did Ren have a crush? His body reacted to the word, temperature rising as he mulled over the weekend he just had. The first person that came to mind was the pink-haired flower boy, which made Ren dip his head low between his knees. So maybe he did smile more when the boy was around, and he really liked talking about everything and nothing with him during that one night. He liked the way when he smiled, it would be half of his face, and then all at once. Or the way he had a habit of scrunching his nose when embarrassed. Ren liked the cute little moles that littered the younger's face, wanting to touch each of those distinguishing points. The more he thought about said boy, the more he could feel his face grow hot, and well shit. He groaned as both the other boys exclaimed in happiness, begging for Ren to spill his thoughts. 

"Okay, okay! But's it's not a crush!" He tried to convince - he didn't know who, himself or the others - that whatever he felt was merely an interest. "There's this one by who quipped my interest. "He's 21, and really quiet but super sweet. He-"

"Okay, but what's his name?" Kosuke interrupted, impatient.

Startled, he hesitated once more. "It's . . . Takumi," he whispered, so quiet that it sounded more like a sigh of air than actual words.

"Ooh, who's Takumi? Cute name. Is he your boyfriend?" Another teasing figure appeared behind Ren in the mirror all of a sudden. Ren's heart jumped into his throat at the scare. He didn’t even notice that the door opened with the arrival of several more trainees - the rest of the ones that he always dances with.

"Jun-kun, Satoshi-kun" Ren grumbled, "tell Inoue-kun to stop being mean. He isn't my boyfriend it's been only like a week and a half," he hoped to distract from his pounding heart. Just having the words 'Takumi' and 'boyfriend' so close to each other made his stomach do all sorts of somersaults, he thought he was going to throw up. He didn’t want to imagine what would happen if they were used in the same sentence. 

His oldest friend, Satoshi, shook his head as he dropped down on the floor besides the older. Just being next to Satoshi, Ren always calmed down. They've been together for years, since before Ren came to Tokyo. Both knew each other since high school, and decided to pursue the same dream together. They moved to Tokyo after they both got into the same company, jumping up and down and squealing as they figured out their status together. Ren felt like an older brother to Satoshi, being that he was younger and still had to attend school when he came to Tokyo. The only reason he went was because Ren was going as well, Satoshi's parents anxious about letting their only son leave their protective parental arms and out into the real world - they trusted Ren that much.

"Don't listen to those losers," Satoshi voiced quite loudly as Ren laughed at his friend dissing his seniors.

"Ren likes someone though, don't you wanna know everything!" Inoue exclaimed, shaking the dance captain's shoulders. Ren flushed again, feeling unaccustomed to this type of attention. He liked attention, loved it when it was focused on his dance, but being the center of the spotlight about romance was not his forte. Not knowing what to say, Ren instead clapped his hands quickly and suggested to the others that they begin stretching as he starts their weekly meetings before they start practicing. 

"Alright boys. Boss man says we may have a chance to be backers again soon, but we don't know for sure. We also have to work hard to prepare for when management comes around for the monthly evaluations. It's coming up next week!" Ren exclaimed, clapping his hands. 

"You're so excited about everything," Jun says exhausted, a yawn peeking through his fingers. "It's so early,"

Ren scoffed at Jun, shaking his head as he requested Kosuke start up the song that they have been learning for the monthly evaluation. He wanted a full run through of the song without stopping, even if the members made mistakes, to see what they have to work on.

Ren stood tall at the center of the group, legs shoulder-length apart with hands clasped in front of his body. As the music started, the boys' movements became one with the music. Ren let the music flow through his body, hitting every beat of the electronic pop song with such precision that engineers would be jealous. Ren studied his body in the mirror, nitpicking every detail of his form and angles to perfection, eyes like a hawk. The six boys dance in sync, the highs and lows of the sounds in the room contrasting greatly as they hit each beat at the same time, sneakers echoing. Soon, the music became a quiet lull in the background as Ren focused solely on the dance, losing himself and letting go freely. And it felt good. So good to let loose.

Just as they hit the climax of the song, the door to the studio opened. The boys kept dancing until after the chorus ended and Kosuke quickly turned off the music from further playing as they panted hard in front of their management. 

"I'm glad to see you boys have been working hard," one of their choreographers stepped forward and complimented.

All the boys bowed deeply, brightening at the praise of their hard work. 

"I'm sure you boys have heard of the rumor going around, and I want you to know it's true. I came to personally announce and congratulate as you boys will be back up dancers to the South Korean k-pop group, Halo!" he exclaimed excitedly, as him and the other personnel behind him started clapping for the six boys. 

"W-what? You're being serious! This is amazing, wow!" The boys showered the employees with gratitude, thanking them profusely. 

"They will be coming by next week. You have two weeks to prepare five of their songs. And since we're feeling so generous, we've decided to drop your monthly evaluation. What we just saw was a great improvement, boys. Keep up the good work Kawarishi."

After the trainers and managers left the room, the boys fell over each other, squealing in delight. Halo!? As one of the k-pop groups with the most influence in Japan, the boys were so excited to be picked to preform for them. 

"Ren! You were recognized!" Fumiya clamped his hands down on his friend's shoulders, shaking him excitedly. 

Ren couldn't be happier, but honestly that may be a lie. He was over the moon when the choreographer said his name; it's quite a rare occurrence. His mind was all over the place when that happened - he must be doing something right if the choreographer noticed him, so of course he was happy but it couldn’t be processed in such a short amount of time either. He wanted the whole group to be praised just as he was because they put in just as much effort as he did. Next, he imagined what it would be like to preform with - _no, behind,_ a small voice tells him - the idol group Halo, and being on stage where they could hear the screams of fangirls. But what really got stuck in his mind was the feeling of how they would be screaming the members names, and not his, because they wouldn’t know who he is. Who knows back up dancers anyways? Hiding behind his always shining smile, his eyes didn’t scrunch up like they normally do. Maybe this is the feeling that his brother meant.


	8. Episode 8. "Let's Spice it Up"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SHY Martin - Good Together

Sho came back from work thoroughly exhausted. _Kids have waayy too much energy_ , he thought. His mind was muddled with Japanese and English as they blended together. Spending hours hopping back and forth between the two languages - thinking in Japanese, speaking in English; thinking in English, speaking in Japanglish - gave Sho a headache, but he still loved his job. Being around younger kids all his life, it was a matter of time before Sho decided to go into the field that was filled with children - teaching. You could say the elder was always busy, as he had to grow up fast when his younger siblings were born (only a year apart each, no less), years after him. His parents worked shifts at different times, so it was always him and only one parent at a time at home, so he had to learn how to grow up. 

He could never talk badly about them, though, for he loved them too much. They helped him learn about his passion, and he was also thankful that his siblings would allow him to hold miniature classes with him as he taught them English as well. 

The eldest roommate sat at the dining table, tea in one hand as the other scrolled through pages and pages of lesson plans that he is making up for the rest of the academic year. The American alphabet and Kanji blend together roughly as he skims the pages. Right now is the person unit, or how he best likes to describe it as the family unit. Although he has to teach what the word 'friend' is in English, and the words for various professions, Sho likes to spend most of the time talking about family, and making sure to engrain not only the words, but the culture as well. 

He is sat, silently creating a fun activity for his students for tomorrow. The only difficult part was figuring out what to do that everyone would like. Although not knowing his new class for long, he could tell instantly that every single one of his students were very opinionated, and if they didn’t want to do something they would show it. Sometimes Sho could handle it, and figure out a way to make it look fun and interesting for them, because the kids didn’t care about the future and how learning another language was so important. Other times, it was like putting the whole classroom in time-out for almost the whole learning period. In the midst of working out the kinks in his plan, another member arrives back home at the house. As of now, Sho was the only member home, being that Ren and Keigo were at work, Syoya was at school, and Takumi and Junki were out grocery shopping together, as well as job hunting. He wasn't expecting anyone to be home anytime soon, though maybe it was later than he thought. 

"I'm back home," Sato Keigo called out, informing any members who are in the house now of his arrival. Keigo walked around the corner to find a distressed-looking Yonashiro Sho put on a tired smile on his face, welcoming the younger home. 

"How was work?" Sho asked, wishing for a short distraction to ease his mind.

"Not too bad today, there wasn't much. Just had a fitting and did a few close up pictures. Not much to tell," Keigo gave a small smile, and returned the question back at the older politely.

"Ah," Sho stretched his arms over his head, scratching the nape of his neck. "Trying to plan ahead my lesson plans for the kids, and figure out how to do this project for tomorrow. I think . . . I can do it, but I seem to always jinx myself when that happens," Sho chuckled lowly. 

Suddenly, Keigo reaches over and takes Sho's laptop, looking over the notes that Sho has written down for the lesson. He may not be an expert in English, but he had been abroad enough times to figure out what some words are with the few that he does know and context clues.

"H-hey! What are you-"

"Shh. You're stressed Sho, let me look at this," Keigo wanted to help the older, much to his disapproval. The older huffed, telling the younger that he would beat him if he messed anything up on his laptop. While continuing to mutter threats, Keigo smiled as he scrolled, humming in approval, and also disagreement as he read over through the pages. Keigo was still a kid at heart, and knew just what the elementary school kids would want to do and what they wouldn’t want to do. He could see the time and effort put Sho put into these plans, and his heart squeezed at his passion and dedication for these children. They truly didn’t know what a wonderful person their teacher was. 

"This is the only part that wouldn't work. I don't think you would have time for it, and plus it might be too complicated for the kids to follow as of right now. Other than that, maybe a few tweak here or there but it looks really good, Yonashiro-kun," Keigo praised.

Sho sighed in relief as he accepted back his laptop, safely placing it on the dining table in front of him where it belongs.

I appreciate your input, really," Sho gave a blinding, genuine smile to Keigo. 

"Always a pleasure," Keigo stands up and bows dramatically, hand outstretched towards Sho as if he were in a western movie as a butler. 

Again, though, not even ten minutes later Sho is back at it again, mind distressed as he looks over the schedule once again. He doesn't know what it is, but there is definetly something that is wrong and bugging him about the plan. Sho chews on his bottom lip hard, but he's not the one who noticed it. 

"Alright," Keigo abruptly stands up from his chair, the legs scratching the floor. "Let's go."

"Go? Where?"

"Out. You need to take your mind off of that and I need some food in my stomach." When Sho doesn't move, Keigo adds, "my treat."

* * *

And that is where he finds himself now, out on a dinner date with Sato Keigo.

Well, was it a date, Sho couldn't tell you. It certainly feels like a date, eating at such a fancy restaurant where the older is clearly underdressed. Thankfully, their table was near the corner of the room, where no prying eyes could reach them in the slightly darker area. 

"Keigo, this is so . . ." Sho trails off as he opens the menu, laminated with gold detailing on the sides. The headers were in a cursive font, so swirly that it made his head spin, which didn't help making reading the menu any easier.

"Relax, let me take care of it. It's been a while since I treated someone, I kind of miss it," the younger trailed off, smiling lightly before his eyes glanced over the menu, though seemed to already know what he wanted. 

It was silence as they waited for the waiter to come and take their order. Somewhere between awkward and comfortable; in limbo. Sho didn't know what to say, so he didn't, keeping his eyes on the menu instead. It was a relief when the waiter came by, the boys giving their orders, and then he was off again.

"This restaurant is also found in my hometown, I was excited when I found out about it. I hope it's as good as the one back home," Keigo stated, breaking the silence. It was a fancy, traditional Japanese style restaurant where his dad always took him for his birthday. It always felt special, like a treat when he got to come here, even if his family could afford to eat here if they ate every meal every day for decades.

"I figures, you seem very comfortable here," Sho reasoned, glancing around the dark atmosphere before looking back at Keigo - who already had his eyes trained on him.

"Besides children, and maybe English, what else do you like?" The younger questioned. Sho was intriguing, always humble and kind towards other. Keigo wanted to learn more, to figure out who he really was and if he had any flaws because as of now clearly there weren't any. Sho was built like a masterpiece; a perfect facial structure with bright, big eyes and full lips, paired with strikingly good arms and legs that go on for days. Keigo would have to be careful if he ever brought Sho around his management or they might swap him out for the older. 

"Most of my life consisted of my family, me taking care of my younger siblings when my parents had to work. There isn’t much else to say. Other than my family, I got into going to the gym heavily when I was a teenager," - Keigo could tell - "and, well, I guess that's it. Sorry, I just don't know what to tell," Sho sighed, inwardly cringing at himself at out he can't even say anything. The back of his neck is starting to become a familiar place for his hand to go when he gets shy.

Yonashiro Sho started working out when he was younger, more for protecting his younger siblings than himself. Like he said, he was all about family. They moved to mainland Japan when Sho was about 16 years old, his siblings being about 6 and 7. Being raised on the island, it felt more like home than anything else in the world (which obviously makes sense). At first, he didn't want to go. Away from the easily influenced eyes of his younger siblings, he cried about leaving behind his friends, both human and animals. He would miss seeing the stray cat he feeds every day, wondering how it will get its food now. But, because he was the older sibling he had to stay strong. So he bottled up his feelings and helped make the move easy on his parents, packing not only his belongings, but his siblings as well. He made sure to spend more time, even more than he normally does, with his brother and sister. Once they arrived to the main land, he thought life would go back to normal, maybe even better. But it didn't. Instead, it got worse when his younger brother came home, tear stains trailing down his puffy cheeks from the other kids in his class who made fun of his accent and appearance. At 7 years old, his brother was being pushed around on the daily, called names for his 'too tan skin' from being outside for most of his life, playing in the fields with his siblings, as well as doing field work with his father. Sho was young, too weak to do anything when it first started. He watched his younger brother come home more often, and leave his room less and less. It broke his heart to see the once cheerful young boy become a lonely shell who didn’t dare set foot outside the house unless it was for school, and even then he cried, begging to stay home sometimes. From then on, Sho vowed to always protect his family. He stayed by his siblings side every day, and went to the gym every night after they went to bed. He walked his siblings to school, staring dead into the eyes of anyone who even glances at his brother's way. 

One day, a year later, Sho figured out that some upperclassmen in his brother's school were still bothering him. It wasn't pretty, no, when Sho picked up his younger brother from school. Sho was meticulous, precise, swift and quick. No one did figure out who gave the kids a black eye, and Sho wished for it to stay that way. 

Now, he only treats others with kindness after that horrific day. Being with kids most of the day, he can watch their every movement, learning about their habits and what they're thinking. He feels like if he could help even just one, that it would be enough to repent for what he did to his brother's bullies, even if they were in the wrong too.

But he would never say this. Not yet.

"Well, if you like to work out I would love to join you at some point. My muscles are going away, and I don't think my manager likes that," Keigo laughs at himself, hoping that Sho will bite his bait. And he does, inviting the younger to go with him within the next couple of days. 

From there, the boys got more comfortable with each other, sharing shy smiles and giggles as they slowly learned about one another over dinner. Sho was glad for the distraction, inwardly happy that it was Keigo too. Already, he was thinking about what Keigo was like when he truly relaxed, and was super excited for the runway show that he invited him too for this weekend. 

After the waiter came by with the check, Keigo snatched it up and paid before Sho could even utter a sound (much to his despise). 

"Hey, you finally got your dinner date after all,"

"Yeah, you didn't stand me up. I'm surprised."

"I would never stand you up, Sato Keigo."


	9. Episode 9. "Pro Cheffing"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aries - Home

"We're back! And with food too!" An excited Junki yelled out into the empty house, hands raised in the air, swinging with multiple bags full of groceries. Fortunately for him, no one saw him make a fool of himself as Takumi trailed in behind, snorting at his behavior. When Junki realized there was no one home, he pouted, grumbling that no one saw his grand entrance and was just as excited to see him home as he was.

"Come on, Junki-kun. I'm starving and I need your tasty cuisine," Takumi said sweetly, already able to smell the sweet scent of Junki's homemade cooking.

"Eh? You're not gonna help me?" Junki teased, bumping shoulders as they set the grocery bags down on the dining table. Both the boys kept annoying each other, using sweet pet names like 'dork' or 'idiot' to lighten the mood. Takumi screeched when he felt the cold bottle of juice that the boys picked up touch the back of his neck, wet condensation sticking to his skin.

"You're dead, Kono Junki!"

If it was anyone, Junki was the one to bring out Takumi's inner nature. It has only been a week and a half since they boys moved in, but with Junki's bubbly personality and inability to shut up, it was only natural for Takumi to quickly come out of his shell too, feeling comfortable that he doesn’t have to be the perfect person when with him. The boys became close friends in such a short amount of time, but neither questioned it after it started. Why question what's comfortable?

"Hey, you brat!" Junki exclaimed when he felt the punches - albeit light taps - on his shoulder from the pestering pink-haired boy. Somehow it was now Junki, the mature one, wanting to put everything in the fridge before anything got too warm, or god forbid the ice cream melted. He bumped Takumi back with his hip, gathering all the bottles he could manage in his hands, prying open the fridge doors and sorting them properly. Takumi giggled, now calming down slightly as he sorted through the boxes of dry food, going to the cabinets one by one. Like a well-oiled machine, both the boys turned to a comfortable silence as they unpacked, managing time quicker than expected.

"Ah, now it feels like home. Stocked fridge, and lot's of food in the pantry," Takumi sighed, leaning on the island in the middle of the kitchen. While thinking so much about said food, his stomach started to growl obnoxiously. Junki tsks.

"Well, we have to do something about that. What should we make, hmm?" The older asks, heading towards the fridge and glancing through the potential ingredients, recipes flying through his head as he sorted what they had in stock. "Oh, I think we have everything for sukiyaki. It's one of my specialties, y'know?" Junki brightens when he finds all the ingredients for his favorite Japanese meal. Takumi hums in agreement, coming to his side as he helps the older gather food from the fridge.

As they were organizing the food, on where to best place them so to make cooking in order much easier, they heard the door opening to another tenant coming back home. Junki glances over his shoulder, spotting the all familiar long black hair of the student.

"I'm back! Oh, what are you making for dinner? Am I just in time?" The university student wanders over placing his backpack by a chair and walking over to lean against the island counter.

"It's sukiyaki time!" Junki sings, ruffling Syoya's hair before he unpackages the mushrooms, placing them in a strainer to wash them. Syoya claps his hands excitedly. He remembers the last time the older cooked for the rest of them, and since then he's been waiting for the next time that the aspiring chef would be able to cook for them once again. Bless the boys' large appetite for eating so much in the house that Junki and Takumi had to go grocery shopping soon after.

The three boys cook in silence as Takumi's playlist echoes throughout the room, hooked up to a portable speaker on the dining table. Takumi hums along, assigned with arranging the food neatly on the large platter. The pink-haired boy liked precision and neatness, so he took extra time to make sure that nothing looked hazardous or out of place, fit for a king.

Just as Junki was adding the beef to the pan on the stove, having cooked almost every other ingredient already, the door opened once again to reveal the tired dancer who just came off of a two hour train ride from Tokyo.

The scene he came to was Syoya setting the dining table for the three of them to eat at, while Takumi teased the older of the three as he tried to concentrate on not burning the food. Eventually the older gave up - almost too easily if you asked Ren - and attacked Takumi with playful punches and tickles. Both boys laughed, basically crying as they drowned out the noise of Takumi's music. Even the thought of having Junki's food didn't cheer up the eldest as he watched the scene unfold before him, cautious to step in further. Maybe he caught feelings too quickly (he usually does anyways), but the way Takumi acted with Junki was the way that Ren wanted Takumi to interact with _him_.

Unfortunately for his heart, Ren was spotted by Syoya as he set the last bowl down on the table, happily pulling the dancer over to the table and making him sit down.

"Ren-kun! Welcome back, we were just about to sit down for dinner. Let me get another set," Syoya leaves him by himself, Ren glancing longingly over at the 'couple' at the stove.

"Ah, Ren-kun! How was work?" Junki smiles brightly at him, showing his canines. Ren couldn’t be mad at him, not when he smiles so carefreely like that.

"Work? It was good today, the kids I teach finally learned all the choreography I taught them, and I managed to become a back-up dancer for this one group in the next coming weeks," the eldest smiled at the memory of finally, _finally_ seeing all of the kids perform the song in sync. He thought he was going to cry, he was so proud.

"A group, which one? Do I know them?" Syoya asked excitedly, questions popping out left and right to which Ren almost couldn’t keep up. The dancer laughed, before adjusting the hat he was wearing, then answering with the infamous k-pop idol group.

"H-HALO?! No way!" Junki almost dropped the pot he was carrying over to the dining table, having to rest it on the kitchen island he was so excited. Maybe if you couldn’t tell, Junki was a fan of the group. Junki was big into music, and once he discovered a little band called Halo he never looked back. He was over the moon when he learned that the members have been learning Japanese, and their videos started to get subbed in his native language. Finally, they began promoting and touring outside of South Korea, and Junki was the first to purchase a ticket for their first concert in Japan. So yeah, Junki was a fan, and a pretty big one at that.

Ren hummed in affirmation, "I take it you know them then?" Chuckling, he stood up to help the other carry the pot to the table where everyone else sat down. Junki took his seat across from Ren, grabbing his hands that 'could have already touched the Halo members'.

Ren shoved Junki's hands away from him, shaking his head at the idiocy from the next oldest. He explained how they wouldn’t come for another week, and so he might have to be at the studio more than previously expected. After another round of congratulatory words, the four began eating together, praises now moving towards Junki's end. Syoya practically climbed across the table and kissed the very man before him at how delicious the food he made was, moaning in delight. Junki smiled shyly, nervous on how it would turn out but glad that everyone thought it was delicious. It gave him more confidence in being able to actually work in a restaurant, and eventually end up owning one. 

Ren has been glancing at Takumi every now and then throughout dinner. He felt like it was his fault, for when he came back home the boy reverted back into himself, and didn’t say much other than a shy 'congratulations Ren-kun, they're very lucky to have you' to him. Other than that, nothing else escaped Takumi's lips. It hurt even more, knowing what he felt for the boy after the chat with his friends back at the studio. He wanted to concentrate, he really wanted to be the dance captain that he always was, but with the pink-haired boy on his mind he kept stumbling over choreo and going slower than normal.

“So, you said you were going to be applying for jobs, right?” Ren questioned both boys across from him. Today Junki applied for several jobs at restaurants, and hopes to hear back from them soon for an interview. Junki's nervous, but with his culinary degree he hopes he can score at least one position in the kitchen. As for Takumi, there wasn’t much luck on his side as he didn’t find too many flower shops open, nor any other part time job he wanted to pursue in the meantime. Conflicted, Takumi lowered his eyes as he listened to the other boys talk about Junki and reassure him that he will get the job he is hoping for, encouraging him that if he got to show the bosses his skills he would be hired on the spot. 

“-nd Takumi? Takumi?” The 21-year-old picked up his head as he heard his name being called. “How was your day?” He looked over to see a sweet smile gracing Ren’s lips, and it made his heart jump into his throat.

“N-nothing today, unfortunately,” Takumi shook his head lightly, showing a tight-lipped smile. 

“That’s too bad. I don’t have work tomorrow, though, if you want to go back out again and look. I would be happy to help,” Rne attempted another try at conversation when he knew Takumi was too sad to elaborate further. The younger one looked surprised, eyes going wide at the suggestion. A whole day, with Ren? He didn’t know if his heart could handle it, but the one thing he promised his parents when he left was that he was going to take care of himself and get a job. Takumi didn’t want to laze around the house, nor did he not want to mooch off others when shopping for groceries, or eating out. 

So, Takumi nodded his head in affirmation, making Ren smile with glee. Both were excited for the first official outing together, albeit very nervous at the same time. But it’s not a date, right? Just some friendly job hunting with a friend-who-isn’t-a-close-friend-but-you-want-them-to-be-but-you-both-are-very-shy-so-you-just-resort-to-staring-at-them-from-a-far-and-hope-for-the-best. 

Conversation started to flow regularly again, as Syoya talked about his classes today and what he wants to write for his thesis due in the spring. Takumi inserted himself in the conversation shyly, offering help with his thesis as Takumi graduated college with a business degree, a major that is similar to Syoya’s economics. Excitedly, the youngest turned to engage in close conversation with the older, asking him all sorts of questions and expectations, as well as pouring out his concerns. Ren has come to learn that Syoya was a chatterbox; it was quite normal for him to talk in long sentences, following up with questions that he then answers himself. It seems like Takumi will be busy for a while.

The elder two chuckled at Takumi’s expression as Syoya rambled on. 

“Are you going to be away for a long time though? With Halo and all?” Junki suddenly asked, concern lacing his words.

Ren already has his schedule laid out for him, as the managers prepared it before he left to come back home today. Starting next week, it would be difficult for him to live at the house for prolonged periods of time, though he wants to be here in Nagano as much as possible. It was a new kind of fun experience for him, and he didn’t want to give it up.

“They have me working almost every day, and since I’ll have to be in Tokyo . . .” Ren trailed, glancing around the table. “It might be early mornings and long nights, but I’ll make it work. I want to be here,” Ren smiled at Junki. They animatedly chatted further about the band, Junki promising he will help Ren with any dance moves he can’t remember since Junki memorized them all himself. Ren giggled at that, glad to have such a support system at the house.

Just then, the door opened again, revealing two tall figures.

“We’re back,” Sho said to the other roommates, smiling as they have now become the original six again. Sho gasped, seeing the food on the table, “oh no, I missed Junki’s cooking?” He pouted.

Keigo snorted, feeling bad that he, too, missed his friend’s cooking but also embarrassed that it seems like Sho would rather have had Junki’s sukiyaki than the fancy restaurant food he took the older to. Sho, turning back at Keigo’s noise of almost sadness, felt awful as his words replayed in his head.

“But dinner was great too!” Sho exclaimed, “Seriously delicious, I’m so full I couldn’t have another bite.”

The attempt made Keigo smile weakly, patting the older’s shoulder as they took their seats across from each other, next to the other boys at the dining table. He knows Sho means well, but that just means that maybe Keigo doesn’t know as much about Sho as he thought. He would have to work harder to get closer, and understand the older better.

“You guys had dinner together?” Junki questioned, gaze flitting between Keigo and Sho.

“Mm, we went to Min’s,” Keigo explained, not expecting the gasps from the others as they couldn’t believe how Keigo and Sho went to such an expensive and highly rated restaurant. Junki practically fainted in his seat, almost begging Keigo to take him one day - to cook, obviously. Syoya snorted, wondering how on earth they let in Sho with _that_ outfit, ignoring the ‘eh, you insolent brat!’ coming from a distressed Yonashiro Sho. Everyone at the table laughed at that, a comfortable atmosphere surrounding the six men. 

“But, seriously. I’m a chef, you like eating at fancy restaurants, I think we could make this work.”


	10. Episode 10. "Vibrant Colors"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THREE1989 - Rambling Rose

The next morning, the young boy was found pacing in front of his mirror. He tucked and then un-tucked his button up, half in and then half out, all in then all out as he couldn't decide. It definitely took longer than needed for him to choose his outfit for the day - an oversized pale blue button up over a crisp white t-shirt, halfway buttoned up with half tucked into his black skinny jeans, paired with a thick black belt - but he needed to look clean and presentable. Afterall, if he looked messy surely no one would take him in.

Takumi tilted his head, ruffling his hair into place. Something felt wrong, felt like something was missing until he heard a knock at his door. 

Ren poked his head in, wondering what was taking Takumi so long to get ready. He didn’t want to pry into the younger’s personal space, but since it was almost noon he didn’t want to waste the day away.

“Eh? It’s what time now?” The younger asked after Ren informing him of the sudden time. _Has he really been trying to choose his outfit for over an hour now?_

The dancer walked over to Takumi, noticing the boy glancing between himself and the mirror. As it happens often to the older, he knew that Takumi was questioning his appearance, understanding his shy nature. Standing in front of the mirror now, he slowly dragged his gaze up and down - almost shamelessly - the pink-haired boy, instantly noting how his faded pink hair matched perfectly with the pastel-like blue of his shirt, lips quirked up into a smirk. His eyes lingered over the accent chain the younger had placed on the side of his pants, wondering how someone so cute could pull off something so edgy, even if it was a simple chain. 

As Ren stood there, next to Takumi in the mirror couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath as he realized what he had been missing. It was Ren, clad in his casual sunny yellow sweater and ripped jeans.

* * *

Takumi tried to keep his distance at first, he really did. But it was so hard with Ren excitedly pointing at cute dogs or pretty exteriors of coffee or ice cream shops and asking Takumi’s opinion on everything as well. It made him feel special, important when Ren asked for his opinion, eyes shining as he stared intently at Takumi as he answered. So the younger let go, starting to relax and smile more as they walked up and down the streets of downtown. 

They reached a beautiful little shop, quicker than expected. The flowers bloomed over others, some hanging prettily off the front of the overhang while others sat pretty in front of the shop, creating a walkway to the front door. They spread out like weeds, except these were more appealing. There wasn’t an inch of the actual store that Takumi could see as they came closer, the bright colors of the flower petals weaving themselves up the sides of the building, invading their vision. Takumi couldn’t take his eyes off the plants, gasping as their sweet scent filled the air as they got closer.

Ren, entranced, kept staring at the younger, happy he was able to find something to which Takumi got so enthusiastic over. Before they left, Ren looked up several flower shops within the area, and as they navigated the streets, Ren slowly pushed them onto the right path of the first shop - and the betshe thought - for Takumi to hopefully work at. 

“Ah, Ren-kun! This place is so adorable,” the younger trailed off in awe. There were so many flowers displayed, most he couldn’t name himself and it was overwhelming for the small boy. He pulls the older along with him as he crouches down to inspect some new flowers he’s never seen before, muttering about what it could be. The two exchange words in delight as their eyes dance over the vibrant tones, Ren being sucked into the younger's colorful world. Soon, a young boy comes out of the shop, fixing his apron.

“Oh, hello. I thought I heard voices,” he smiles at the other boys, finishing tying his apron. He must’ve just started his shift. 

“Yes, you grow very beautiful flowers here,” Takumi was startled, though a shy smile slowly spread across his face as he stood up. He hadn’t expected anyone to walk out, much less when he himself was crouched low, nose deep in their flowers.

“You could say they’re my family’s pride and joy,” the young boy smiled sweetly, eyes disappearing into small crescents that resembled the dancer besides him. Takumi instantly smiled at the boy, feeding off of his bright energy and cute appearance. “Anyways, my name is Kitagawa Yukawa, but you can call me Reito, and I will be inside if you need anything. Please, explore on your own,” the curly brown-haired boy, Reito, then turned to walk back into the tiny store after he bowed to the older boys. 

Ren knew Takumi was too shy, so he reached out to the younger of them all, “Wait! Reito-kun, before you go I think my friend here would like to ask something of you,” Ren started shyly, hoping he didn’t overstep. 

The young boy turned back around expectantly at the pink-haired boy, who wouldn’t meet his gaze. His cheeks flushed as he prepared himself for talking to the boy - _God, he’s so tiny, there’s no way he’s older than you Takumi. Man up and talk to the kid_ \- and hopefully getting this job.

“I, um . . . Well, I was wondering if you are hiring as of now? I somewhat know about flowers, but since you said it's a family business I . . ." Takumi trailed off, not very good at talking or bragging about himself. Since it seemed like it was a family business from Reito's comment earlier, Takumi knew he wouldn't get any sort of interview. Usually if it was a family business they don't take friends, nevertheless outsiders working for them. He didn't want to get his hopes up at working at the cute little flower shop.

"A job? Well, I am not really in charge of hiring, but I'll be honest with you. I saw how excited you got over our flowers, it's quite endearing, really. We need more of that energy here," Reito said kindly to the boy, beckoning them forward as he entered the shop.

If Takumi thought the outside was pretty, well the inside was absolutely, jaw-dropping gorgeous. Rows of potted plants neatly lined the shelves of the store as the plants seemed to have a mind of their own, leaves spilling over the clay pots. It was chaotic beauty, Takumi thought as he slowly walked inside, hyper aware of everything going on around him. He looked around in awe, wanting to take in all the beauty. He instantly thought his grandmother would be so happy to see this, and couldn't wait to bring her up to Nagano and share this experience with her. He imagined he would take her around to each aisle, introducing her to new plants that he learned while she looked on happily, nodding along with him even if she already knew what types of flowers they were.

Reito disappeared behind the counter, seemingly vanishing into nowhere, until he came back moments later with a middle-aged woman. Takumi presumed it was his mother, as they both had a warm aura to them, smiles similar. 

"Mother, this is . . . oh no, I've done it again haven't I?" Reito laughs awkwardly, embarrassed that he forgot to ask of the boy's names. "How inconsiderate of me. I'm sorry, but your names are?"

"Hello, my name is Kawanishi Takumi, and this is my friend Kawarishi Ren," Takumi introduced the two, giggling at the forgetful boy and not offended at all. With more formal introductions going around, the two boys learned that Reito was in his last year of high school and has been working at the shop for a few years now. While he loved working there, his parents didn't want to hinder the boy and insisted he go to college next year.

"Ah, mother, that's right. Takumi-kun wanted to know if there are jobs available. I kinda gave him one already though, so i think you should totally say yes, please!" Reito begged, turning on the puppy-dog eyes that his mother could never resist. 

"Well, we do need someone to take over for when this little midget is gone," his mother lovingly teased him, much to the displeasure of the youngest. 

When realization hit him, Takumi's eyes widened at the thought of being able to come and work at this magical place every day. Although he was ecstatic, he felt somewhat incompetent with all the different types of flowers he saw on the way in that he just simply didn't know.

"That's great news! Right Takumi?" Ren congratulated his friend, squeezing his shoulders until he saw the dazed look on his friend's face.

"O-of course! I am, just . . . guess I will have to brush up on my knowledge of flowers," the younger laughed it off, not wanting the owners of the shop to worry over him and think they made a mistake of hiring someone unknowledgeable. 

The small group chatted a bit more, before Takumi spotted a bright yellow flower, petals fanning out hazardously and scrunched together like a paper flower made from elementary-school kids. He didn't quite know the name of the flower, but it caught his eye and he couldn't seem to look away, like he was drawn to it. 

"Takumi?" Reito's mother saw that the boy was lost in thought, and followed his gaze to one of their less bought flowers. "Ah, you spotted one of my favorites as well. It's a Camellia. That one typically means longing," with it's papery thin appearance, most people shied away from the flower for fear it was too fragile and would die quickly. The older woman smiled knowingly at the younger, leading the group over to the flower.

"Please, take it. It's on the house," his new employer encouraged the younger to take the flower before he left, knowing that the boy already fell for its beauty. Insisting, she handed him the pot as he vehemently disagreed, though caved in and smiled gratefully.

The boys said their goodbyes, Takumi still mesmerized by the shop's appearance and charm as they walked away. 

"Well, that was successful wasn't it?" Ren grinned. Takumi almost forgot he was there with him, lost in thought as he walked along the sidewalk. The younger hummed in affirmation, thanking the older for going with him. If it wasn't for Ren, Takumi wouldn't have had the courage to say anything and ask for the job - even if it was Ren who first talked, making him forever grateful.

"You really suited that shop," Ren continued.

"You think so?"

"Of course. You matched practically every flower in there," Ren chuckled, referring to the boy's dyed pink hair. The shop was so cute thanks to the light pastel colors though there was definitely a theme of the blush color throughout the store. Takumi flushed at the comment, one hand reaching up to brush through it. "I'm curious, though. Why'd you decide to dye your hair pink?"

The younger quirked his lips to the side - a habit that Ren has slowly fallen in so deep for - as memories resurfaced when he decided to dye his hair. He did it in high school, for his senior year picture after a silly dare from his friends that he couldn't _not_ do. Believe it or not, but the young adult was wild when he was a teenager. He was much more outgoing than now, and much more trusting of others, always wanting to make new friends. 

After dying his hair the night before, it turned out to be a breathtaking mixture of strawberry pink hair and porcelain white skin. With how well it worked with his skin tone, and the constant complomants and stares that soon came more his way than before, Takumi decided to keep the color in his hair. The morning after, when Takumi went down to eat breakfast, his mother screamed. It came as quite a shock to her, but she soon came to accept the way his hair fell effortlessly against his pale skin, the way it complimented each other, as if Takumi should have been born with it. After being with it for so long, Takumi didn’t know if he could go back to black, or even change to a different color. 

“It’s not very interesting, but that’s what happened,” Takumi chuckled at the shocked expression on his friend’s face. Takumi, _outgoing?_ Ren tried to picture it, and instantly wanted to unravel more of the mystery of Kawanishi Takumi. 

“It does suit you, very well. Maybe I should dye my hair so I can become handsome as well,” Ren slyly adds jokingly.

Without missing a beat, Takumi replies, “You’d suit grey. It would accent your features,” he nods to himself, inspecting the frozen face of the dancer. Ren combed his fingers through his now black hair, mouth quirking up as he imagined himself with grey hair. 

Being with his grandmother most of his life, Takumi grew up around color. His grandmother always had foreign looking pictures and furniture in her house, wallpapers of various patterns. She was a quirky woman, spending her days tending to exotic plants and cooking up masterpieces, to which she always stored them away for another day. She and Takumi would sit at her dining table as she worked on her latest piece, teaching the younger about art and color. She would take him around her house for the millionth time, pointing out flowers and inspecting them closely. Every time he went into her house, there was seemingly a new plant that looked completely different, a color that seemed to only appear in her house. You could give Takumi a shade, he can come up with the name of the color, what the color pallet would look like and what other types of colors it compliments to which those colors also compliment it. 

So when he first looked at his new roommates, color spewed back at him. Blue prettily complimented Junki, while Syoya could pull off purple. Sho simply screamed green, and it only made sense for Keigo to be complimented by brown since he was wearing that stylish coat on the first day.

But Ren, well, he was the first one who caught his eye. It was subtle, but Ren exuded grey. It’s why he was enhanced by the moonlight so well, why he thrived in the night. 

“Grey, huh?”

“It’s only right for you,” Takumi stated simply. Then he gasped, head snapping at Ren before he took his hand, pulling him along back into town. He dragged him into the nearest department store he could find, scanning the aisles until his eyes spotted the one he wanted.

“Wha-” Ren didn’t get the rest of his sentence out as Takumi grabbed several bottles of hair products - bleach and a light grey color, as well as pink for himself. It was going to be a fun night.

* * *

Ren sucked in his breath through his teeth sharply, hissing at the burning sensation on the top of his head. He’s heard stories from friends on how the whole process of dying hair goes, and the pain but Ren wasn’t expecting this. As it’s his first time, it was obviously way worse than expected, but with the way that Takumi showed his teeth as he laughed giddily, Ren suppressed the pain and smiled along with him.

“There, all done,” Takumi grinned at Ren through the mirror in the bathroom, pulling at the edge of his glove before letting it snap back at his wrist. He laughed mischievously at the jump Ren made from the sound. Takumi was full of energy at four in the afternoon, always lively when he was around color. 

“Now, we have to let the bleach sit in your hair, for maybe half an hour or so, then after it’s rinse and then the color! Now it’s my turn, so scooch,” Takumi informed the older, excited for his turn at finally brightening the color of his own hair. He just about pushed Ren out of the way with his hip as he took off the dirty latex gloves full of bleach to exchange them for new, clean ones. 

As the younger leaned closer to the mirror for easier application, he didn’t notice the way Ren was staring at him, stars in his eyes. Even in his concentration, Ren thought he was adorable, the way his tongue poked out of his mouth and nose scrunched up slightly. He was amazed by this man, at how his dynamic can change so quickly, and happy that he can now see Takumi coming out of his shell when Ren was around. Even more of a reason to say that Takumi was slowly becoming more comfortable, to Ren’s delight.

After he was done applying the dye to his whole head, both the boys laughed at Takumi’s hair sticking up maniacally, the way he resembled lava girl was uncanny. Ren’s high-pitched laugh brought joy to Takumi, a sound that he is always unconsciously longing for.

“Okay, okay,” Takumi breathed out, stomach hurting from laughing so hard. He wiped at his eyes, gesturing for Ren to move towards the bathtub behind him. “We have to wash this out, and then put the dye in your hair.”

Takumi turned on the water and gently pushed Ren’s head underneath, fingers massaging into his scalp as he tried to rinse out everything. It was a slow process, fingers getting caught in Ren’s hair but it’s not like either of them complained. Ren sighed in pure bliss, but it was over all too soon as Takumi finished up washing his hair and grabbed a towel, ready to dry and color. 

An hour later, both the boys stood side by side in front of the mirror, admiring their newly dyed hair. On making such a decision in a split second, the color came out exceptionally well. Just like Takumi insisted, the new color matched perfectly with the older’s honey skin tone. It flopped gently across his forehead, some strands crossing over his eyes. Takumi was mesmerized by the new look the older was sporting. With Ren looking _this_ good in grey under the bathroom light, Takumi didn’t know if he wanted to see Ren at night now, heart skipping a beat even just thinking about it. He knew it would be disastrous for his heart. At the invasive thought of reaching over and moving his hair across his forehead and out of Ren’s eyes, Takumi cleared his throat and quirked the corner of his mouth up. The younger suggested that they leave the small bathroom, suddenly feeling too close for comfort as their arms brushed up against each other. 

When the other housemates got home, they shrieked in surprise, shocked at the new vibrant colors. 

“Oh, my little baby strawberry!” Junki exclaimed at seeing the shortest of them all, reaching over to touch his hair gently. 

Ren simply couldn’t be happier.

It only lasted until a few days later, when he arrived at his dance studio. Quickly he became surrounded by his friends as they all fussed over the dance captain, touching his hair and loving the way it complimented Ren so well. No, they weren’t the problem, but instead it was when the management team came into the studio, ready to talk more details about their upcoming performances with Halo when their manager spotted the new color sported by the dancer.

“Ren,” he sighed, “you know what they say about coloring your hair.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao, that was such a bad reason as to why Takumi dyed his hair but i couldn't think of anything else, and i really really wanted to finished this chapter today. i hope you still like it!


	11. Episode 11. "Another Late Night"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keshi - like i need u

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: i'm sorry for regular readers, but i've decided to time skip. it will now be two weeks after the boys moved in instead of one, i just feel more comfortable with a slower progression of their relationship. basically the first week was just random stuff i guess, so for example the past few chapters were all in this second week as well i.e. ren going back to work, takumi getting a job, the shokeigo date. i tried to look for words that i've put in previous chapters that indicate it was only a few days and changed it to a week, though i am not sure if i got them all. anyways, that is all, and i hope you enjoy!

Later that night, Ren laid curled in a ball on the living room couch, eyes on the television in front of him but not registering the images nor the words being said. In the midst of making spontaneous decisions with Takumi, he completely forgot about the rules of his company - even after staring at his now colored hair for days before he went back to Tokyo.

He was thankful it was late at night when he arrived back home, stumbling over and crawling straight onto the sofa where he silently cried. He’d shove the heels of his palms into his eyes, trying to stop the endless tears now streaming down his face but it was no use. 

He finally felt something was going right. He could see how much it meant to Takumi, how much color brightens his day, and how he was _so sure_ that Ren would love his new hair. And Ren did, wholeheartedly. So much that he never wanted to go back to black again. It would physically pain him, picturing Takumi would come home and talking about the vibrant colors he saw during work, a finger tugging at his own pink hair. He imagined Takumi’s eyes shining so brightly as he laid his eyes on Ren’s own light grey, until his eyes shifted down to his puffy face with tears staining his cheeks. He couldn’t stand to see the light diminish from his eyes as he asked what was wrong, and wouldn’t be able to have the heart to tell him that it was his hair which caused his tears. 

No, it was management’s fault for their stupid rule. Before, Ren never really thought anything of it. He thought he didn’t have the face for a different hair color, so he never bothered with the strict rule the company set for all their trainees.

The company believed that their trainees who become backup dancers should always stay hidden in the shadows. For them, it was rare to see the backup dancers in anything other than black on stage, and basically forbid it when they wear accessories. This, unfortunately, includes hats as the company fears it would mess up with the live performance, and could hinder their sight. A valid reason; they don’t want to mess up and make a fool of themselves, as well as the artist they're performing with and therefore ruin the stage. Ren still thought it was silly. In fact, it could hide their faces better if the company really wanted them hidden, transforming into mere silhouettes of the main act. 

It wasn’t until the pink-haired boy popped into his life so suddenly, taking his breath away that it became a fleeting thought in his mind. Being so transfixed with the boy in such a short amount of time became absolutely terrifying for Ren. He’s never felt these types of feelings in a long time, or even if ever. He’s falling full force into this seemingly bottomless pit, hands tied behind his back where he can’t catch himself. Every day Ren notices something new making him smile all over again.

Suddenly, all at once as if someone poured ice water on his head, truly understanding the company’s intentions after all this time. He didn’t think the company cared for the trainees at all, pushing them to the background again and again with all their orders. It’s true, Ren managed to be able to have the opportunity to dance behind amazing artists, but he was never good enough to _be_ the artist. They played their trainees like dolls, the puppeteer masterminds as they strung each of them along on _their_ own pace, to the beat of _their_ own drum and not the trainees’. Maybe they would be saving time, money and effort by not debuting them, keeping the safe way out of just keeping them in the shadows, out of the public eye. They rarely let the post videos of covers either, or of choreographies they made up. Ren thought it was sick.

Late at night, when all the lights were off in the building the employees were home sound asleep, Ren would stay in the practice room, half the lights lit. Sometimes he would pace, other times would just sit cross-legged in the middle of the practice room, his voice echoing off the walls as he sang quietly, for his ears only.

Deep in his heart, he longed for them to notice him, notice his effort and patience. Now, at 23, he knew he lost his chance a while ago to become the frontrunner on stage, having the fans scream his name instead of someone else's, singing along to the lyrics he’s writing instead of someone else’s. Maybe his brother was right, that Ren’s passion has shifted, without him even knowing it.

It’s been a long time since the grey-haired dancer cried. The last time was just after his high-school graduation, when he revealed he would be moving to Tokyo to pursue his dream as a dancer. He had leaned into his mother’s shoulder while his brother patted his back and his father stood aside watching the family cry together. Silent tears streamed down his face, wanting to cry out for his other son leaving him at such a young age, for his son choosing a difficult career path that rarely anyone can make a true living from. 

Just thinking of the memory brings Ren to tears once again as he comes out of his thoughts, fresh tears being illuminated by the tv. He cried silently, eyes scrunched shut as his hands clenched the blanket.

He didn’t want Takumi to know. He didn’t want Takumi to know. He didn’t want Takumi to know. He didn’t want-

“You’re still up?”

It was oddly familiar, hearing the words, except this time it was coming from the other’s mouth and not his. Ren didn’t look up, in fact it seemed like he shrunk down even more into the soft cushions, shying away. He didn’t want Takumi to know.

“I thought I heard noises, so I came out an- Ren-kun? W-what’s wrong?” Takumi caught himself as he edged closer to the older, not noticing his face as all the younger could see was his grey hair, stark against the moonlight. He repeated his name, softer this time as Takumi came around the corner of the couch, getting only a glimpse of his face before Ren pulled the blanket up almost over his whole head.

He didn’t want Takumi to know.

Takumi wasn’t good at comforting others. When he heard a sharp sniffle come from under the blankets, it was almost overwhelming uncomfortable for him to just stand there and do nothing. He wanted to help, honestly, but with no experience Takumi shifted from one foot to the other, before sitting down in front of the couch, back against the side.

“Maybe you don’t want to tell me, and maybe I don’t know what to do, but I do know that I’m going to wait here until you feel better,” Takumi breathed out, determined to wait until Ren could talk to him. He has helped Takumi a lot in the past two weeks, and with the slight — not so slight, more like a yanking tug that’s been growing increasingly annoying — towards the older Takumi wanted to help.

Now, Ren’s hands were not only tied, but they were being pulled down by boulders, falling even faster now. His heart ached for Takumi, hands itching to reach out and comfort the boy who was so distressed — and by the older no less. He whined at Takumi’s words, but still made no movement to come out from behind the blankets that really weren’t hiding anything. 

But he _didn’t want Takumi to know_.

It would only hurt him, in the end. But maybe Ren is hurting him right now, not letting Takumi in. At this rate, the confidence in their slowly growing relationship was shattering by the second as Takumi believed Ren wouldn’t let him see his vulnerable side. It went on like this, Takumi sitting beside the older, staring out the large window into the moon-lit backyard while Ren huddled inside his mini-fort made entirely by a single, thin blanket. Seconds ticked by, minutes, until a half an hour later Ren had calmed down enough and cleared his head, realizing how Takumi just _wouldn’t move_ , not leaving him to cry in peace.

“I don’t want you to be mad,” the older whispered, voice hoarse from crying. 

The younger jumped startled to hear Ren’s voice, no matter how quiet it came out. Though, he still didn’t turn around. He didn’t know why, maybe it was to give Ren his privacy, or maybe it was to protect his heart from seeing such a broken Ren in the night, the tears clashing as Ren was in his true element. 

“I promise I won’t be mad,” Takumi promised back, voice soft as a cloud. His fingers fiddled with the sewn edge of his pajama sleeve, waiting for Ren to respond.

“I’m confused, Takumi-kun,” the name slipped easily past his chapped lips, light and airy despite the heavy feeling in the room. “I’m so confused and I’m so sad, and I hate how I’m so mad as well.”

Ren regretted not going straight to his room when he arrived, but he knew his legs wouldn’t be able to hold himself up as he climbed the stairs to his room, and he thought he would have passed out by now on the couch. Takumi waited in silence.

“I — my manager — there’s this rule,” Ren stumbled over his words, wondering just how to tell Takumi. With the time and effort of dyeing his hair, the laughs and smiles the two shared, he didn’t want to erase the happy memory from his mind just yet. 

“At the company, there’s this rule. I never really thought too much about it before, it wasn’t all that important to me. Practically slipped my mind fully until today. And it’s silly, but they won’t allow me to perform with dyed hair . . .” Ren almost burst out in tears again at the patheticness of it all. Even though it was a monotone shade, they probably hated it just as much as color since it was a light grey, standing out easily to the audience since the dancer would be out of uniform with the others due to his bright hair. Maybe it was in the heat of the moment, but Ren didn’t want to work for the company that wouldn;t give them choices anymore. 

Now it was Takumi’s turn to try and be quiet, despite every bone in his body wanting to bust out with questions, cold emotions chilling his blood. He wasn’t mad at Ren, though, no. Surely it wasn’t his fault, but the company for the ridiculous rule. More than that, though, it was Takumi’s for even suggesting the change in the first place. He should have known better, watching many performances and fancams, he should have picked up on the uniformity of the dancers.

“I-I’m sorry,” Takumi choked out.

This is why he didn’t want Takumi to know. 

He knew he would blame himself, Ren just _knew_ it. And he hated that he was the cause of it, no, absolutely despised it. He let his decision slip out of his mouth, high on emotions as he was talking about the scene earlier today, of where he was now.

_”Ren! Get your ass back here!” His manager screamed at the furious grey-haired dancer. He had screamed right back, saying he quit, mutterings about the ridiculous rules trailing behind him as he left his friends speechless in the middle of the practice room, fuming employees chasing after him. Ren was done. With thoughts swirling in his head these past few weeks, of his brother’s words invading his 2 am thoughts with Takumi, now always in the back of his mind. With the reaction just now of his manager, disappointment though there was evident anger in his eyes that he didn’t show physically, and Ren knew that there would be more to it when the two of them were alone together. He couldn’t face it; didn’t want to be held back by the rules any longer. As his foot stepped past the threshold of the building’s front door, he muttered a silent prayer for his friends, the children he teaches, that everything would be okay for them. He felt sorry, but not sorry enough to stay with the company that has been playing him for years. Instead of heading back to the house where he knew some would be home, he wandered around the capital aimlessly, looking into windows but not shopping. He turned off his phone, ignoring his dancing friends and just getting lost in the city. He didn’t know when he would ever go back._

It was a knife twisting in Ren’s heart and he forgot how to breathe at the horrific sound of Takumi silently crying. It was even worse than Takumi just outright bawling. In just two short weeks, Takumi somehow had Ren wrapped around his little finger. It was slow going the first week, tip-toeing around each other, not wanting to embarass themselves.

“No, please don’t cry, please,” Ren broke down, a hand reaching out to caress the pink-hair as its owner let it fall over onto the side of the couch, no strength left. Having Ren’s fingers in his hair was soothing, almost like everything would be normal, but it wasn’t. Because of him, Ren lost his status, lost his job and reason to keep going. Takumi knew how much he loved to dance, he would talk about it practically every day, as if it was his life line. He praised his friends, eyes shining with glee as his arms and legs randomly burst into dance moves, or when he practiced on the deck outside he would get so concentrated, lost in the music to where he wouldn’t even hear the others open the door and stand besides him. He loved to listen to the older ramble on about the children he taught, proud of their improvement and always coming up with choreography ideas. 

Takumi felt selfish as he leaned into the older’s touch, the feeling slowly calming him down.

“I didn’t mean for you to quit,” Takumi said softly. He knew it took courage for Ren to do that. 

“I quit because I wanted to,” Ren, now calmer, kept threading his fingers through the pink field. “I realized what my brother was saying all along, and I have to treat myself better. I have to finally pursue what _I_ want.”

Together, they sat in silence, comforting each other. 

“What are you going to do now?” Takumi asked the question as it lingered in his mind for a little too long.

“I’m not sure, but I have to look for another job. Maybe a local studio somewhere, or another place in Tokyo I’m not sure yet. MaybeI’ll come see you at work,” Ren teased, managing to push his sadness away and tried to lift their spirits. He always hated going to bed sad. Feeling Takumi freeze underneath his hand brought a giddy feeling upon the older, finally feeling at somewhat at ease for the first time all day. Takumi wondered how Ren did such a 180. For the first time the night, he glanced over his shoulder, locking eyes with the older’s fox-like ones. His were inquisitive, searching Takumi's eyes — for what, he didn’t know. Maybe he just wanted to look at the boy.

Takumi blushed the same color as his hair, breaking eye contact and nuzzling his cheek into the sofa, embarrassed. He couldn’t deny the way his heart felt at Ren’s words, nor the sudden scenarios of Ren visiting. 

“Let’s not be sad tonight. We’re going to have fun at Keigo’s show tomorrow, we’ll dress Sho up to the tens,” Ren winked, “and we’ll figure this out. Together.”


	12. Episode 12. "White Prince"

Five out of the six roommates sat close together, a few rows back from the runway track itself. It was the night of Keigo’s runway show, and the boys haven’t seen the man himself since early that morning. 

It took a lot of bickering between Sho and the two color-haired boys, insisting dressing the eldest up while Sho wanted nothing to do with the expensive feel. He would much rather lay his eyes on the others wearing the expensive clothing, rather than himself who prefers a much more comfortable fit. It was useless, though, the odds were against him as it was two young and very stubborn people against one very tired teacher.

As promised the night before, Ren and Takumi styled Sho ‘to the tens’, the older sporting newly pressed pair of khakis with a black and white vertically striped button up, along with black dress shoes. Ren rummaged through the older’s closet, fingers trailing along each sleeve of the coats as he looked back and forth, before pulling out a heavy, long coat made of thick fabric. Sho never really liked that coat, the fabric always pulling away like a dog shedding and getting caught on his clothes underneath, but Ren insisted he try it on, saying it was classy enough for a runway show but also comfortable enough for Sho to like. 

Sho sighed as he stood in front of his floor length mirror, fingers tugging at the collar. Takumi insisted at least two buttons should be popped open, revealing the older’s slender neck. Ren accentuated it with a simple silver chain necklace with a pendant on the end.

“I feel ridiculous,” Sho complained, though even he could see that he casually modelled in front of the mirror himself, peaking at every angle.

“You look hot, feel more confident,” Takumi exclaimed, making Sho stand up straight in the mirror. He didn’t notice the way Ren’s eyebrows shot up as his lips curled down slightly. Sho snorted.

“C’mon Sho-kun. We’re going to be supportive roommates for Keigo, and we should at least look somewhat presentable. You never know what could happen,” he lightly sang the last part, smiling evily in Sho’s mind. At the sound of Keigo’s name, his stomach did small somersaults. The two younger boys had been hinting at things all night, things between him and the model. Nothing much was said about their date night earlier in the week to the other roommates, and they even went out for dinner again a few nights later. It seemed like everyone else in the house picked up on this new dynamic of the boys, so at every chance they could, they teased the older, loving the way he blushed and stuttered in the midst of romance. If this was Keigo’s lifestyle, and he wanted to be in Keigo’s life, then he had to do this, right?

Sho never specified if he had a crush on Keigo or not. He liked their dinners together, talking about the past, present and future as easily as if they’ve been friends their whole life. All he knew was that he liked Keigo’s smile and always longed for it when it went away. Sho has only been in one serious relationship his entire life. It spanned two years of high school and one of college (for Sho at least, since his ex was younger), before realizing that long distance was putting a strain on not only their relationship, but in their personal life and studies as well. They became close when his ex-boyfriend moved from Tokyo and he became infatuated with the new and intriguing accent. It was a true infatuation, eyes lingering on the boy at every chance he could get. Sho was overjoyed when they started talking to each other, and it broke his heart when they realised they were going to be studying at different colleges that were hours apart. Not a day goes by that Sho doesn’t think of _something_ about the boy; a smell triggering a memory, a flash of color reminding him of a certain date he went on with his ex.

Sho wanted to take things slow now, really feeling out his new love interest — if you could even call it love.

Once again, Sho looked back at himself in the mirror, flanked on both sides by the obviously pining-over-one-another couple. They showered the older in compliments, excited to be hopefully making a new couple in the house. 

There were butterflies in his stomach, but he didn’t know which kind.

* * *

It was a few minutes before the runway started and Sho was stressed. He didn’t know what over; it could be the way Syoya was arguing with Junki, or the anticipation eating away at his stomach, or a different realization altogether. He could feel the all familiar headache coming on, nowadays more common than not. 

Even as the lights slowly faded out, the young boys were still arguing at each other. Sho had to reach over and almost slap them to get them to be quiet and pay attention. Oh yes, this was going great so far.

The first model who walked out was not Keigo. The roommates didn’t know the order of the models, but then again Keigo didn’t either until he got backstage. 

It’s been a while since Keigo walked, and he missed it. Keigo always loved the runway more than commercial or editorial. He loved the way the clothes fit on him, and how he can make long coats flow behind him, making the men and women in the audience jealous of how well he can pull off a pair of pants. He thought it made him a better model, for him to be able to walk casually and keep a straight face, all the while still looking attractive. It was a large feat and Keigo was always ready to jump at the chance. It was exhilarating knowing that people are taking his picture — even if it wasn’t for him, but for the clothes, — but either way his face was getting out there, and it always looked hot. 

It wasn’t a large runway today, unfortunately for Keigo, but he was still smiling anyway. He stood tall, waiting in line for his turn at absolutely destroying the runway before him. He was starved for it, for not being able to walk for such a long time. 

Sho almost immediately sensed a familiar theme within the outfits as the second model walked out, clad in a sequined blazer and soft-looking pants rolled up above the ankles. His eyes became cloudy as the third model appeared, barely registering the _oohs_ and _ahhs_ of the audience. It wasn’t until the fifth model where Sho was shook by an excited Takumi, where he blinked a few times, eyes focusing on — Keigo.

He walked out looking absolutely ethereal. His now blonde hair — shocking all of the roommates because _didn’t he have black hair this morning?_ — flowed naturally as he walked, flopping lightly across his forehead with every step he took. Sho’s eyes traveled slowly from the feet up, not standing to look at his face just yet. Shiny black dress shoes covered his feet, most likely wearing hidden socks as his bare ankles peaked out from under his black pants. Sho’s breath got caught in his throat as his gaze traveled up to the knee-length white coat with wooden buttons, a stiff material but Keigo still manages to make it flow like liquid as he moves. What was most surprising was the harness-like outerwear that graced his chest, A buckled rested neatly into his right side, while on his left, tucked under and around his arm was a design that was almost armour-like, gold curves gracing the black underlay. He looked like a prince, ready to go into battle and then ride off into the sunset after having won the princess. Lastly, the eldest’s eyes travel up to the younger’s face, eyes locating every piece of skin there was to be seen. Contrast to the sharp angles on his jaw and nose, there was light make-up that graced his face, making the rest of him seem soft despite the obvious alpha-male vibe. A dark glitter accentuated his eyes, making them bigger, darker. Sho found it hard to breathe.

What’s worse, was that he was wearing white. White reminded Sho of someone, some kind and warm with a smile that could light up the darkest room. Someone that wasn’t the angel of a man standing before him, posing as he reached the end of the runway. 

Keigo exuded royalty. He craved it, belonging in that world like a missing piece to a puzzle. 

And Sho could never give him that.

* * *

It wasn’t until the lights turned back on and everyone was chatting amongst themselves when Sho’s gaze returned back to normal. He managed to close his mouth before the younger kids noticed, turning his head towards them, half-listening to their conversation. They stood up, separated in the back from the noble looking audience members who seemed more serious about fashion than he was. 

It was a while before the model found his new friends, but he managed to with the way Junki was wearing an overly bright orange, waving erratically. Keigo snorted at his antics, charmed that his friends cared so much they all came and stayed, waiting for him. He strided over in confidence, heads taller than most. He had traded in the previous outfit for something more practical; bleached jeans paired with a red belt and a white t-shirt, the brand in large capital letters across his chest. Still, even in such casual clothes Sho still thought he looked like a prince. He had almost let out a sigh in relief, seeing the change.

“There he is, the man of the hour. Can’t believe you would be caught dead in that outfit outside of the house,” Junki joked with the younger, teasing at his usual expensive taste. 

While Sho wanted to reach out and touch the new blonde hair, Syoya voiced his thoughts with his non-stop compliments of the new look, the others jumping in as well.

What’s only been minutes — feels like eternity to Sho — after chatting, Keigo turns to Sho, concern written across his face as Sho hadn’t spoken a word since Keigo came over; since the show even started. Keigo reached up behind him, fingers attacking the hairs at the nape of his neck. He smiled awkwardly at the older, before asking him how he liked the show.

“O-oh, I um,” Sho started, eyes wide. 

“He was hot right?”

“White it totally your color!”

“God, I wish I had a hot model boyfriend like you-”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Sho snapped at the youngest, head whipping upon hearing the word.

“B-but I thought you guys went on dates-” “Sho-”

“Going on dates doesn’t mean we’re dating, Syoya,” he may be young, but Sho could tell Syoya was popular. He should know this, shouldn’t he?

When Sho’s hardened eyes met Keigo’s, he was filled with instant regret. He knew how important this runway was for Keigo, a topic the both of them have been talking about heavily the past few days, and he just squashed the light in the younger’s eyes. Sho’s stomach felt like Keigo just sucker punched him, and he should have at that. 

The oldest’s emotions were all out of wack. One moment, it was Keigo on the runway looking elegant, the next he pictured his ex up there smiling down on him. Lately he couldn’t get him out of his head. Was he really that hung up on him, that he couldn’t move on?

“Keigo-”

“No, it’s okay. I know we’re not boyfriends, it’s only been a few days,” the younger smiled sadly, eyes flickering between Sho and the ground. God, Sho felt like an ass. He sighed, hands running through his hair. “Thank you all for coming, seriously. I really appreciate it. You head back, I have a few more people to talk with here,” the model nodded at his roommates before backing up slowly, hand raised in a farewell. 

Ren could’ve hit Sho, but he didn’t as they were still in a public place with influential people. Instead, he waited until they were all safely home before he made Sho feel unsafe himself, pouncing on the older.

“Sho-kun, what the hell? I mean, I know he isn’t your boyfriend, but god. Anyone would be hurt by that, especially in that tone,” Ren ranted, clicking his tongue. 

“Sho-kun . . .” came a soft voice from behind him. Sho didn’t turn around. “I’m sorry if I troubled you.”

Sho felt like crying. All he wanted to do was to disappear forever. It wasn’t long before he was silently crying in the living room, shoulders slightly shaking as he stood with his head bent. It wasn’t long after that until the rest of the boys noticed, crowding the older, voices softer this time around. 

“Sho, seriously. What’s wrong, we’ll listen this time,” Syoya said, heart breaking. He didn’t think before speaking, never has really, but he could only assume with the way they’re always together, sly smiles and inside jokes being exchanged.

“I guess dating is sensitive for me. I thought I got past it, that i could come here and find someone, or at least learn how to love again from someone,” Sho said dejectedly as Ren rubbed his arm in a way that says _take your time_. Sho gasped for breath, vivid memories flashing before his eyes. The good times outweighed the bad, but oh how much the bad stuck with him, a knife permanently in his windpipe. 

“I really like Keigo,” he sobbed, dropping into Ren’s waiting arms. It’s true, he did. But he just didn’t know in which way anymore. And that was the scary part.

* * *

The night didn’t turn out like Keigo had hoped. He envisioned it going like this:

He would walk down the runway, hearing the clicking of cameras going off and the soft sounds of people fanning over him and the outfit he was wearing. Shortly after attending to the needs of a few magazines and the designer, he would meet up with his roommates and they would chat over how well the runway was, and their favorite outfits. He would stand by Sho, shoulders brushing together. He imagined Sho casually flirting, insisting that Keigo wasn’t his favorite — but maybe he liked the harness a little too much — to which they would laugh over it, hardly standing. He wanted the older to compliment his hair, brushing it out of his eyes so he could see his face better. After, Keigo would take them to one of his favorite restaurants for dinner, and they could catch up together on their week. 

Clearly, that wasn’t how it went down at all.

Embarrassed, his face went hot at Sho’s aggression towards Syoya’s comment. He didn’t realise how the older felt, but it was understandable considering the short timeline they’ve talked with each other. 

Keigo wasn’t expecting anyone to be up when he arrived back at home in the middle of the night, hours after his friends left the venue. He was pleasantly surprised to find Junki, still sporting that orange sweater, head in his palm as he leaned on the dining table. At the sound of the door clicking shut, Junki looked over to smile tiredly at Keigo. 

“Hey, what are you doing up?” Keigo asked quietly, creeping over to sit in the seat across from the older. 

“I wanted to make sure you’re alright too, you know,” Junki tried to joke casually, but it was new territory for him too. He wasn’t well versed in the area of sadness so he didn’t know how to cheer up the younger, but he couldn’t let him go to bed thinking Sho hated him either.

“Did you eat?”

Keigo nodded. He ate a granola bar before his walk, and that was about it. He didn’t want to worry the older more than he clearly was. Keigo was a bad liar though, but Junki let him have it for tonight.

“Sho isn’t mad, I think he was just overwhelmed,” Junki stated after a beat of silence. Keigo stared at the table in response.

If he didn’t hate him, then what was he feeling? Why didn’t Sho ever share what he was feeling? It bothered Keigo to no end, knowing he couldn’t help the older in the ways he wanted to sometimes. Keigo figured he was more snappy these past few days due to his new job, still losing hair over the upcoming school year.

Keigo then smiled sadly at Junki, eyes weary.

“I know. I would probably be too if I were him. I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” he looked at Junki, then stood up, reaching out a hand towards the older, “it’s been a long night, yeah? You should probably go to bed.”

Junki chuckled, exaggeratedly slapping his hand onto Keigo’s palm as he hoisted himself up, thanking him like a gentleman. The boys smiled at each other, cracking light jokes as they walked up the stairs until they separated into their own rooms.

Keigo probably should have known that Sho didn’t quite like him the way he did to the other, but he was determined to at least try.


	13. Episode 13. "Flowers and Food"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaymes Young - Feel Something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly i didn't know where to stop so i kept going. hope you like this slighter longer chapter!

One of the boys sat outside, finger weaving around a loose thread of his ripped jeans. It was quite in the backyard, and he loved the feeling of the warm sun on his face. It wouldn’t be long before the air was too chilly for people to wander about outside leisurely, the cold air cutting at their cheeks and noses. 

Pulling his feet up to him on the lawn chair, the strawberry-colored hair boy pulled out his phone, dialing a familiar, comfortable number. After two rings, the called picked up with a nasally ‘ _Hello? Who’s this?’_

“Grandma,” Takumi laughed. She never looked at the caller ID. “It’s Takumi, your favorite grandson,” he teased.

“Oh my! My baby, how are you darling? You’re eating alright, yes?” His grandmother suddenly bombarded the young boy with questions upon hearing that it was his name and not some telemarketer. She’s always fussed over her grandchild, always worried that he was either a little too skinny and a little too short; too fragile to be playing with the other boys even if that’s all he ever did. 

“Yes, of course. There’s a chef in the house, and I’ve been cooking with him some nights,” Takumi giggled at his grandmother’s high-pitched screech. She could have fainted. Takumi was never a good cook, she feared what would happen if she let her grandson live alone. She prayed that there would be someone who cooks in the house, because if not, well. Let’s just say that Takumi is so nice that he would offer to cook dinner, even if he somehow manages to over-boil the water or burn cereal because he doesn’t know anything about cooking. His grandmother breathed out shaky words of prayer for her grandson and his roommates, hoping the house doesn’t burn down.

“G-grandma! Do you really have no faith in me? I swear, Junki’s been teaching me all he knows, I could become a chef one day!” Takumi laughs, stating the last part so seriously and proudly that his grandmother can practically see the pout on the younger’s face and the sheer determination shining in his eyes. She sighs, wishing the boy to not burn down the house as she cannot be there to stop him. 

He then proceeds to inform her about all the new recipes Junki has been teaching him, as well as the other housemates in the past two weeks they’ve all lived there. She listened silently, a small smile tugging at her lips as her grandson recounted the past few days.

“Well, anyways, that isn’t why I called you. I have something I think you’ll find more appealing,” Takumi trailed off, embarrassed by his now talkative nature in front of his grandmother. Ever since that fateful Wednesday, all Takumi could think about was _flowers_ , which only reminded him more of his grandmother, and family, and hometown. He wished more than anything to call his grandmother and tell her the good news, but time (and sleep) got away from him, dragging him into awkward and definitely not courteous times for him to be calling up his grandmother.

“So, I got a job.”

“A job, you? _No way_!” His grandmother teased at the tone, messing around that Takumi hasn’t had many jobs before either. She knew that all of the jobs so far that he had worked hadn't worked in favor for the young boy. He worked, though more like volunteered with the low pay at an afterschool care program for young kids, but barely lasted a year. He believed his only true job was at the factory he was at for a little over two years, and even that he didn’t feel the joy that he felt when he first looked at the company, the new and excitedness starting to wear only a few months later.

“Yes! Now I don’t even know if I want to tell you anymore,” Takumi pouted, sliding further down the lawn chair. He looked out past the lawn, wondering when so many leaves started to fall. His grandmother scoffed at his words, laughing lightly. 

“Okay, I’m done teasing now. I have to get it in when I can, I don’t see you anymore,” now it was her turn to pout. Takumi laughed out loud, picturing his stout little grandmother in the same position as he, deep into the cushions of her arm chair, eyebrows furrowed in slight sadness due to his absence.

“Mm, well,” Takumi started, “Not that I wasn’t looking to work there, but we kind of found the place by accident. It’s a cute little flower shop.”

“My oh my,” his grandmother cried out, overjoyed. She huffed, smiling so wide her cheeks started to hurt. 

“You’re taking after your grandmother aren’t you?”

“Of course, you taught me everything I know! It only makes sense,” there was a hint of a smile forming on Takumi’s mouth that his ever-psychic grandmother knew. She was overjoyed for her grandson, asking all kinds of details about the shop. They talked for an hour over just the different kinds of flowers they sold, how he saw such a large variety in such a small square footage. Takumi voiced his concerns to his grandmother, to which she basically shushed him. She insisted that he knew everything there was, and would also be learning on that way because “that’s life, my dear. 

“I want you to come up and see it,” Takumi said enthusiastically, feeling elated at how great the conversation was going. 

“Oh, baby,” he deflated at her tone, “I would love nothing more, but I don’t know about that. I’m so old I can barely drive ten minutes to the store, I am not sure about what are you, six? Seven hours up?”

Takumi practically melted onto the floor, he was so low in the chair. Despite the bright and cheerful smile he’s been sporting lately, a sad frown controlled his features at the moment. He fingered his hair lightly, tugging at stray aways in his vision. Disappointment took over his whole body. The main reason for the surprise call was to tell his grandmother that he got a job at a flower shop, yes. He knew she would be just as excited for him, if not more since her love of flowers was basically her personality. It was also an excuse, though, for him to hopefully see his grandmother again. He’s never been so far away for so long from his grandmother, or anyone really from his family.

“O-oh, okay. W-well, I’ll call you, yes! I’ll call you every day, and describe all the different kinds of flowers I saw, adn what I did at work that day, and-and-”

His grandmother laughing interrupted his train of thought, startling him.

“Sweetheart, I love the effort. I would love to hear our voice, but it’s okay, really. I’d rather you have fun with your new friends and live your young, present life than be stuck with your old grandmother.”

“Grandma,” he pink-haired boy whined, but he simply couldn’t argue. He knew it was pointless with her stubborn nature. Usually easy-going, but when she made up her mind she did it with such a force nothing could rattle her. 

“Ah ah ah. Now, go, scram. It was lovely talking to you Takumi, but I must go now. I can’t wait for updates!” His grandmother exclaimed, wishing for her grandson to be more with friends his age. She didn’t know what happened after the transition from high school to college and adult life, but she missed the young boy who would play with his friends in the street — even if it was dangerous. She wanted him to be happy. 

They said their goodbyes, Takumi hanging up and staring at his phone for a few minutes after the line went dead. He practically screamed when another figure appeared behind him, taking the empty seat besides him.

“Jesus, oh my-” Takumi brought a hand up to his racing heart, “h-how long have you been behind me? You can’t just sneak up on people like that!”

Junki seemed to laugh almost mockingly at the younger. He sat sideways on the lawn chain, elbows draped across his knees as Junki faced the sad, pink-haired boy. 

“But it’s fun to tease,” he grinned like a cheshire cat, eyes disappearing behind eyelids. 

“But it’s not fun to _be_ teased!” Takumi retorted, arms crossing over his chest. Instead of being sad, he was not slightly mad at the older, but wanted to burst out laughing at the same time. Their dynamic was always playful, and Junki always knew the right things to say, even if he thinks he doesn’t sometimes. 

“I saw you were out here, and it looked like you were on the phone so I didn’t want to disturb. It seems like it was a sad phone call though, do you want to talk about it?” Junki asked, finally sitting in the chair correctly now, legs spread out before him as he laid down. It was giving Takumi anxiety, his intense eye contact always causing chills to run down his back.

“I called my grandmother, told her about my new job,” he smiled sadly.

“That’s great! Why do you seem so sad, though. Shouldn’t that be good news to her?” Junki questioned, still not understanding the heavy emotion clouding the usually bright boy besides him. The night he and Ren came back home giddy like teenagers and head full of color, Takumi couldn’t stop talking about the new flower shop. He talked about his grandmother like she held the stars in her hands. Junki liked how much he admired her, and looked up to her. 

“She was excited, yeah. I want her to visit though, there is only so much that I can describe to her or show in pictures. Really, it’s a place to be in person,” Takumi rubbed at his nape, feet sliding over each other. “She said she couldn’t come up.”

Junki’s heart broke for the boy. Hearing those words coming from a loved one, and a mentor at that, must have shattered the poor boy’s heart. Lately, the house has been in a downward spiral of emotions and mishappenings, and Junki quite honestly was sick of it. 

He then jumped up, clapping his hands to grab the younger’s attention. 

“Alrighty, strawberry-” Takumi snorted, “here’s what we’re gonna do. You grab the boys, I’ll grab the supplies, and we’re going camping!”

“Eh? What?” Takumi asked, genuinely curious. He sat up, staring at the older with wide and slightly accusing eyes.

“That’s right! It’s so nice out, and I’ve always admired the westerners' way of being intune with nature. We’ll do it, right here. In the backyard!” Junki started excitedly, bouncing on his toes.

Skeptical, Takumi scratched his head. “Junki-kun, you’re forgetting really important things. For one, we don’t have a tent. And for two, can you not see the monstrous amount of leaves that have fallen!”

“Oh . . . a tent,” Junki almost swore. He stared longingly out among the vast backyard. He didn’t want it to go to waste, the luscious green grass just waiting to be played on. “Okay, change of plans. What about instead of camping, we just do a campfire?” Junki suggested, eyebrows raised.

Takumi looked up at him, a slow smiling spreading across his features as well.

Within a half an hour, Takumi assembled the rest of the roommates — it wasn’t that difficult, most of them were playing video games in the playroom anyway. Takumi snorted, rolling his eyes as his gaze landed across three out of the four other missing roommates who were in all sorts of twister-like positions, screaming at the tv, at each other, as each tried to beat each other. It was Mario Kart.

“Syoya-kun, what the hell! When did you put that banana down, you brat,” Ren swore under his breath, one foot tucked underneath him as he sat against the soft cushions. His posture screamed laid-back chill guy, but when Takumi’s eyes traveled up to his face, his eyes could have killed the younger. 

“Sorry Ren-kun. Maybe you need to get some glasses, or at least drive better. How were you able to get your license again?” Syoya shot back, tongue poking out between his pearly whites, grinning like a madman. He was on the opposite side of the room, opting to lay on his stomach instead of feet, almost kicking the one in the middle of the two — Keigo. 

Takumi glanced wearily at the older, but Keigo seemed to be fine this early afternoon, smiling at the antics of the boys besides him. He wondered if he had talked to Sho yet about yesterday.

Takumi knocked on the door, trying to get their attention even after they hadn’t looked his way since he entered. It didn’t work, so he knocked louder.

“Hey, who-” Ren glanced over, annoyed at the interruption before seeing Takumi standing there, looking shy as he watched the others play. “Oh, Takumi-kun. Did you want to play with us?”

Takumi vigorously shook his head, smiling shyly. He wasn’t much of a gamer, as his fingers were clumsy and sometimes his hands were just too small for the controls. 

“No thank you, but thanks for the offer. Actually, me and Junki were planning something downstairs, if you’d want to join. I promise it’s fun!” Takumi grinned, tugging at his sleeves. Now that time has passed from talking to his grandmother, he became quite shy and subdued again. Takumi tilted his head out the door, questioning if the others would be following.

“Ah, can we go down after this game? I was just getting ready to kick their asses,” Syoya whined, hopping up onto his knees in concentration. Keigo toed his butt, making the younger fall over. His tactic worked as the older drove past the younger, showing excitement for the first time since Takumi had entered.

Takumi left the three bickering, telling them not to take too long. Next, it was finding Sho. 

He knocked on Sho’s bedroom door, wondering if the older was cooped up in there since he hadn’t seen him in any other room walking past earlier. He was found to be successful when he heard a soft _come in_ from inside. 

“Hey, Sho-kun. How’re you doing?” Takumi asked politely. Sho’s room was dark, and Sho was bundled under the covers, the only light illuminating from his laptop which graced his lap.

“Oh, Takumi. I’m fine, just catching up on some- school stuff,” Sho took a deep breath, obviously stressed. He gave the younger a tight-lipped smile.

This was true, but it wasn’t the only thing weighing on his mind. Him and his blonde-haired . . . companion . . . had talked that morning. It wasn’t intentional but they both happened to wake up at the same time and be in the kitchen at nearly the same time as well. Purely coincidental. It was a long talk, just past dawn. The sunlight was streaming through the windows, hitting Keigo’s cheekbones in just the right way. With the sun somewhat behind his head, Keigo’s hair became lighter, almost angelic as he glowed. It took his breath away, the complete 180 of Keigo’s stoic face yesterday, to this soft boy here in front of him now. Maybe that’s why Sho said yes to keep on seeing each other — to try and see where things go. Maybe he saw a little more than just Keigo in front of him. It was automatic. 

So now, after Sho’s head had cleared with food in his stomach and left Keigo to go take a nap, it was stressing him out. Could he really fall for someone else? Or did Sho like the reminders that came from Keigo, making it even harder for him to get over it.

“Well,” Takumi’s voice brought him out of his brooding thoughts, “me and Junki are planning something downstairs if you want to come. It’s fun, I promise, and it might take your mind off things for a while. If not, you can sue me,” Takumi giggled as he playfully tugged the arm of the eldest. When the pink-haired male in front of him acted like that, there was no way he could say no. Letting a smile slip past his lips, Sho closed his laptop and then got out of bed, following Takumi out of his dark room and into the very bright hallway.

“Now that that gang’s all here,” Junki winked mischievously, “it’s time to present our plan for the day. I think we need a good pick-me-up, so we are . . .” Junki drummed his hands on the dining table, making the others wait in suspense.

“Stupid, tell us already,” Keigo pouted, hand finding it’s way onto Junki’s back with a harsh slapping sound. 

“ALright, alright. Jeez, you’re no fun. Well, anyways, me and Takumi decided to do a little barbeque and a campfire afterwards! I was planning on going shopping for some meat and s’mores items if anyone wanted to come,” Junki smiled sweetly. 

The boys whooped at the sound of meat and sweets, all talking at once. Even with all the chatter, Junki managed to scrounge up Syoya and Ren to take with him to the grocery store, gathering a list (mostly of requests set by Takumi). In less than a minute, they were out the door, leaving the other three alone.

* * *

Takumi couldn’t make out the tension. He thought the two boys had made up, but maybe he was mistaken. The three boys were raking the leaves — Takumi thought the backyard was a complete mess and hated seeing the clutter now that he noticed it — in silence, the only sounds to be heard were from the short and sharp tweets of birds, or the leaves rustling in the light breeze. Takumi thought maybe it was awkward with him being there (who knows, maybe they wanted alone time). 

Keigo’s been looking longingly at Sho for some time now, it was making _Takumi_ uncomfortable. He wondered if Sho noticed, and if he did then he honestly didn’t know how he would feel if it made Takumi uncomfortable. 

Thankfully, the boys came back quicker than expected, and Takumi could have cried in happiness. With Junki at the outdoor stove and Syoya by his side, the other four boys make a makeshift fire in the middle of the stone area. Takumi gathered the chairs in a circle around the fire, while the others set up smaller rocks for structure and sticks to burn. The tension eased into peaceful silence, and Takumi smiled, shoulders drooping. 

“Okay!” Junki screamed later on, when everyone else left him behind to chat in the circle of chairs. “Food’s ready!”

Like starved carnivores, the boys leaped into action and charged at the chef, hands out waiting for a plate and meat. Junki rolled his eyes, though happy that it seems his roommates like his food that much. It gave him confidence, to which he could neve repay. 

The boys settled down, curled into their chairs as the sun quietly set. Even if it was slightly earlier than dinnertime, since the trees were so tall the sun easily disappeared behind them, only small specks filtering through the leaves and branches.

With the wind picking up slightly, Takumi shivered. He was one for those random, violent shivers that wracked your whole body even if it wasn’t that cold out. Unfortunately for him, it was time for one of those said violent shakes to be brought out, catching the attention of everyone else.

“Jeez, are you cold Takumi-kun? Here, let me get a blanket,” Ren immediately jumped out of his seat upon seeing the shiver and hearing the sharp intake of breath. Takumi blushed as the older came back with a large, fluffy grey blanket from the living room, gently setting it over the other’s lap. 

The others teased them, cooing at the adorableness and caring nature of Ren. Takumi smiled up at Ren with his cute little left side going up always before the right side could catch up. Ren giggled at his boxy smile, sitting down on his own chair. 

Hours passed as the boys hung out together, having fun in what seemed like forever. With worries about each other and their personal lives washed away, the boys relaxed more into each other’s company. Cricket sounds filled as background noise, compliment to the crackling and snapping of burning firewood.

Takumi was the first to break out the graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate. He wielded his s’mores skewer like a true warrior, a colonel would be proud. He laughed maniacally as the others ducked, Junki screaming _not straight into the fire, Takumi you’re going to burn it!_

Ren looked on in absolute fondness.

It wasn’t until later that night, when it truly got dark out that he quieted down. It was thanks to the previously quiet Keigo, now bursting with excitement as he told ghost stories from across the fire.

“Y-you monster, Keigo-kun! Shut up!” Syoya quivered in fear after hearing the secret of yamamba, a personal favorite of Keigo’s. The others laughed at his fear, meanwhile Takumi was also silently shaking. Maybe they forgot about the way he hated horror, but it fell upon deaf ears and blind eyes. All except for Ren, who kept looking at the younger boy out of the corner of his eye.

“What about you, Tak-kun? Got any good ghost stories” Ren asked gently, letting a pet name slip past his lips without even noticing. Maybe if the pink-haired boy said one, he wouldn’t feel so afraid after all.

“I-I-” Takumi’s face scrunched up, though no one could see since he had lifted the blanket up till it was just under his eyes. Warmth washed over him as his eyes met Ren’s. His ears didn’t register the nickname either, but he felt comfort inside the other’s dark eyes, knowing he felt safe with the prince of the night, as Takumi likes to refer to him now. Ren shone brighter than the other boys at night, a small smile gracing his lips as he kept his gaze on Takumi, looking, contemplating. 

Ren then leaned over, breath caressing the shell of Takumi’s ear as he whispered, “It’s okay. We can leave if you hate the stories.”

Leaning back ever so slightly, Ren searched the younger’s dark eyes. Takumi took in a sharp breath, and maybe realized that he, too, had his hands tied behind his back, falling into nothingness.


	14. Episode 14. "Happy Discoveries"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tones and I - Dance Monkey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for this chapter, i would highly encourage you to watch lia kim's choreography for this song (dance monkey)! i was inspired by the song for this chapter and therefore this dance for the first part, though honestly i can’t see either of these boys dancing to this type of choreography because if i did i think i would die right then and there

Days passed with Ren searching for a new studio, hoping a company would see potential in him, sign him, or even if he could get a job as some sort of dancer or choreographer. Every day the air seemed to get thicker as Ren’s luck simply wasn’t turning over. His only driving source was his fellow trainees back in Tokyo, always sending cheerful messages and support his way. 

He’s walking along the street, a stone sadly taking the brunt of Ren’s mood, when quite possibly a miracle happens. He hears it before he sees it. It’s in the distance, and Ren has to turn a corner at the intersection up ahead, but when he does it was like the gates of heaven have opened for him.

Around the corner of a busy intersection in Tokyo, Ren spotted a busking group of about five or ten boys who’ve managed to create a pretty large crowd around them considering the majority in Tokyo are busy businessmen. To others it may not be much, but to Ren it was everything. The strangers just standing there watching, captured by the almost commanding street performance of the boys. It would be almost disrespectful to not pay attention, their moves clean and crisp, demanding attention. Craving it. 

Ren walked over slowly, taking in all the movements and fluidity each boy carried within his body. He stood at the edge, memorized just like all the other bystanders. How badly Ren wanted to jump in with them, though he restrained, crossing his arms across his chest. The only thing that would tell people otherwise would be his foot already tapping along to the beat of the music. 

Maybe that’s what drew the lead dancer in when the music changed to a song without a choreography, allowing the members to be free and do as they please for a song or two. Maybe that’s what drew the lead dancer in when he started taking hands, pulling at unsuspecting watchers who squealed. They would lightly tug back, not wanting to be caught dead trying (and failing) at dancing with the professional. Ren wasn’t sure if the gag was fan service, maybe just an excuse to hold a pretty girl or boy’s hand, or possibly showing just how good they are at dancing compared to the average human. Some managed to escape but they've been some successful prospects; Ren being one of them. If they wanted Ren to dance, well, he’ll sure as hell give them what they want.

On was a famous Australian hit, Ren knew it well. He loved listening to foreign music, he could get into the beat of the music either. It helped Ren learn more about the song, building up on his tone. He would always be playing songs with this electropop beat in the practice room, driving Kosuke up the wall as it wasn’t exactly his favorite genre of music. 

He got a feel for the other boys performing earlier, so as Ren swayed his hips and bobbed his shoulders up and down with the leader, he wondered what they would do when he showed them up at their own little segment. 

Automatically, his feet seemed to have a mind of their own as they strayed away from his taker, hands letting go as a smirk appeared on his lips. With his tongue trapped between his teeth, his body reacted quickly to the familiar beat, arms waving chaotically over his head, hands running down his face as he stared into the other’s eyes. It became almost into a dance battle between the strangers, and Ren was making sure he’d win. As the music progressed, beat slowly picking up signalling the chorus, Ren locked his hips, jutting them to and fro, feet tapping to the beat.

When the chorus arrived, Ren’s movements slowed to more sensual ones, one hand in the air while the other was on his hip, knees bent as his body rocked. He let the music flow through him, eyes closing momentarily. He let everything go, just being in the moment as his body remembered what it loved to do most. It was like a breath of fresh air, the stuffy that once polluted its thickness gone. It’s one he’s longed for since last week. Maybe it was only a few days, true, but it was like an eternity for Ren. 

The male who pulled Ren in jumped into the second verse, feet stomping in a circle as his eyes dared to meet Ren’s starved ones. His lightly dyed hair stuck to his forehead in streaks, messed up from the previous performances. He smiled, a delightful surprise as he liked the competition. The boy focused on his shoulder, pulling and pushing it with the electronic beat. With similar styles and equal confidence, the boys seemed to dance in sync, even though their moves were completely different. 

Eventually, instead of the ongoing competing vibe, the two boys both dropped low at the chorus, realizing their shared mind. At that, each watched each other; not like a lion stalking their prey, but like a child watching an adult, learning, copying. They were now mirror opposites, bright smiles on their faces as if they;ve come together as one. It was like an enemies to lovers fiction in less than a minute.

It wasn’t until the song ended that the boys realized they danced the whole song unabashedly, with the crowd growing even more due to their intense dance. Cheering and hollering can be heard, both not even noticing that the encouragement started from the very moment the lead dancer pulled Ren into the circle. Both boys laughed gleefully as their eyes met once again, bowing deeply to each other. 

The other turned into quite the cute boy after the intense dance ended, an unexpected turn of events from the passionate yet powerful dancer only moments before. His eyes disappeared into thin crescents, when he smiled wide, contagious to everyone around him. Ren could have audibly _awed_ at the boy, and almost did too. 

“I certainly wasn’t expecting that, wow, you’re an amazing dancer!” The other exclaimed, breathless. 

“You’re quite incredible too,” Ren complimented, stepping back into the circle almost embarrassed as he could still hear the whooping and hollering of everyone else. 

There were only a few more songs that the group danced to before their performance was done. Ren stayed the entire rest of the performance, head bobbing to the beat as he watched the familiar dance moves practiced all too often with his own group.

As the crowd dispersed, Ren caught the eye of the dancer from earlier, smiling lightly as they crossed the threshold of performer and bystander. 

“I just wanted to say thank you for pulling me in, I really needed that,” Ren chuckled, cheeks flushing from finally saying out loud what he’s been keeping inside. 

“Well, from dancer to obviously another dancer, hello! I could see the signs of _hello I’m antsy, please let me dance_ from a mile away!” The other giggled, bringing a sigh of relief to Ren. “Oh, how rude of me. Here we are getting comfortable dancing, and I barely know you! My name is Masahiko Imanishi, but everyone calls me Hico so please do.”

Ren bowed his head, introducing himself as well. When he found out that Hico was younger than him, and still a teenager at that, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. Ren’s hands flew to his mouth in astonishment, spewing apologies for the slightly provocative dancing (though let's be honest Ren experimented with that type of dancing when he was younger too).

One of Hico’s groupmates wandered over, swinging an arm around his shoulder as he teased the younger, “I told Hico he shouldn’t be dancing like that but he’s a stubborn one.”

Ren smiled, still sending compliments his way. 

They talked for a little while longer, sharing dance stories and exchanging songs they love to dance too. It was purely wholesome, their shared experience over dance making this bond grow strong even if they only knew each other for a short period of time. 

Then suddenly a shadow loomed over Ren, making him turn around to see what was blocking the light. He got startled, almost bumping into Hico as he came face to face with a man, though exceptionally tall. Wary, Ren stayed with the other two dancers who were talking to him, giving the new acquaintance a polite greeting.

“I’m sorry for interrupting,” the older stated in a monotone voice, “but I couldn’t help but stop when I saw you performing. You've got a serious talent kid.”

Ren slipped on a small smile, still wondering why the man came up to him so suddenly. He was grateful for the compliments, more in the last half an hour that he’s gotten then being back at his old company for years.

“I guess I’m scaring you a little,” the older judged correctly, “so I’ll just state my business. I work for that company building right over there.”

The older pointed to a tall building in the distance, almost lost between the other skyscrapers if it weren’t for the bright colors of their company sign

“It’s an entertainment company, and when I tell you I’ve seen it all I mean it. But, those dance moves right there, and that passion isn’t something you see every day. Take my card and come to the building one day, I’ll get you an audition. Though if it’s only between me and you, you’ve already got an in,” he whispered the last sentence, chuckling before taking his company card out his wallet and placing it into Ren’s hand. The older smiled brightly at Ren before stalking off into the opposite direction, leaving a very confused grey-haired dancer in his wake.

“I-Is this for real?” Ren asked quietly, turning around to his new found dancer friends.

“Oh my, Ren! Do you know who that was! Oh, you’re going to be famous for sure,” Hico exclaimed, taking the other’s wrist and shaking him frantically. 

“No, w-who?”

Hico grasped dramatically, almost falling to the concrete. “Excuse me, let me get this straight,” he started (very sassily in Ren’s opinion), “you are in Tokyo, you are a dancer, and you don’t know THE famous company Lapone Entertainment? Do I have to hit you over the head or something, Ren-kun?” Hico huffed, disappointed.

Ren finally looked at the card the mysterious man gave him. As Hico suggested, the company name _Lapone Entertainment_ was written in perfect cursive, gold glittering in the sunlight.

Hico tsked at him, shaking his head but smiling nonetheless. “You’re going to that audition, old man.”

Ren couldn’t even fathom this opportunity to even think about a retort to Hico’s words. He just stared at the card, hands beginning to tremble as it all became clear to him. 

“B-but wait. You were so good too, all of you. Why did he give his card to only me?” Ren asked, eyes wide as he looked at the others. The rest of the dance crew came around, hovering over Ren and his new ‘ticket to success’. 

“Ah, well we’re already in a company, see,” Hico pointed to the banner displayed right besides their busking spot. Ren didn’t even notice before, he was so transfixed on their dancing skills. They told the older that they busk every week to try and make the company, and themselves, more well known. Hico didn’t look disappointed or upset at the man approaching Ren, but happy that the older man got this opportunity. 

“Now, like I said, you’re going to the audition!” Hico exclaimed. The others agreed, crowding around Ren and not letting him escape their grasp of questioning him and offering advice. In the midst of Ren becoming accustomed to the attention and idea of one of the top companies in Japan wanting _him_ , he didn’t notice a few of his other old groupmates, looking on as they witnessed the entire thing.

* * *

Later that night, Keigo became fidgety whenever Sho was around. As everyone ate dinner, he picked silently, mind reeling which wouldn’t let him eat as fast as he would have liked to. Multiple times he was asked about it, or shot concerned glances to which Keigo always replied with a tight smile and a nod of the head.

It seemed like eternity before Sho went to bed, when in reality the eldest decided to hit the hay earlier than usual. 

“Okay guys, I-I want to do something,” Keigo fiddled with his fingers, picking at his cuticles and clicking his nails together. The other boys glanced over at the blonde, thoughts shifting from the drama that was on the tv now to the shifty Sato Keigo. 

“Yeah, Keigo-kun? What is it?” They knew it would be important, if Keigo was being like this. 

“I don’t know if you know this, but Sho’s birthday is coming up in a week or two. I kinda want to do something special for him, and I want you guys to help as well. Like a surprise party here,” he smiled shyly, imagining the smiling that would overcome Sho’s features when he figures out they were throwing him a surprise party. He liked the gummy smile the older had and the way his cheeks got all puffy.

Keigo wants to release all the stress that Sho has been having over these last few weeks. He himself understands how much of a nuisance young children can be, also having younger siblings. Not only that, but Keigo sensed something else that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He hoped that the older would confide in him soon and not keep his feelings all bottled up, pretending everything is fine.

“Keigo, I think your genius is showing,” Junki smiled widely, a sucker for surprises. 

The others smile as well, completely forgetting their show as they all huddled together, coming up with party themes that Sho would like. They decided to do a Halloween theme, knowing that the holiday was right around the corner from Sho’s birthday, and how he had a love for all things scary as well. Takumi was in charge of spooky desserts, where Junki and Syoya created the dinner menu. 

Keigo looked at his friends, heart soaring as they all wanted nothing but the best for the older. All that was left was finding the perfect present. He knew it would be a feat, but Keigo liked challenges.


	15. Episode 15. "I Can Bear-ly Function Without You"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pentagon - Think About You

Keigo has quickly come to learn over the past three weeks of how much Sho liked to touch. Maybe the older didn't understand the concept of personal space, but it wasn't like Keigo was complaining. Hands are always ghosting the hair of another person or lightly touching their shoulders as he leans over, nosing into their business. 

Sho was a very comfortable person. He liked being close to others, wanting to show them how much they meant to him. As people say often, actions speak louder than words. Even with the ability to speak two languages, Sho wasn’t that great with words. It almost seems like his vocabulary has shrunk, rather than grown when he started learning English. From this, unconsciously Sho began to touch more, affection oozing from the contact.

None of the others seemed to mind when Sho’s hand latched onto their arm, their shoulder as he laughed out loud, trying to keep steady. Keigo personally loved it, leaning into the touch and even sometimes would give a soft touch back, letting him know he was there. 

And when there wasn’t someone there with the eldest, he would curl up in a blanket, whether it be in the living room, at the dining table, or even outside, his fingers grasping at the edges as he stared in content at whatever he was doing. It became habit now, to always have his hands _someplace_. It was a false security for him, knowing that there was something or someone he could grab onto.

The blonde was standing at the island counter in the kitchen when Sho bounded over, arm swung around the younger’s shoulder. Keigo’s lips lifted at the corner, side-eyeing the other before settling his gaze back on his laptop.

“Hmm, what’s that?” Sho inquired, head tilting to the left.

His screen displayed a split screen of an email on one side (sent by his manager), and a few tabs open on the other. His manager had sent him bookings for several editorial photoshoots for the upcoming weeks. Keigo wanted to do a little research about the few magazines he hasn’t heard of before, as well as the designer’s clothes he would be sporting for the cover of the issue. He wanted to impress everyone; the photographer, magazine, as well as the designer because if he did a good job and performed to their liking, there’s no doubt he would get at least a second booking if not more. 

“Research. I’m not quite familiar with some of these magazines, nor styles. Can’t be making a fool of myself can I?” The younger laughed breathlessly, fingers tapping on the cold countertop. 

Sho hummed besides him, thinking that without a doubt those employers would love Keigo the minute he walked into the room. His fingers copied the younger, taping a rhythm onto the other’s arm before standing up to make dinner. It was a friday night, with most of the others either out of the house or holed up in the playroom or somewhere else inside the house. 

“Have you eaten yet?”

Keigo grunted a noise of denial, typing quick notes and tips into a document on a (now third split screen) for future reference. As if on cue, his stomach growled from having neglected his poor stomach since breakfast. Sho raised his eyebrows at the sudden noise, huffing in disappointment as he took eggs out of the fridge and rice from one of the cabinets. 

Sho worked quickly — always speedy in whatever he does — as rice was already in the cooker and eggs frying within minutes. The two sat in comfortable silence, the only noise from the eggs crackling in the background as they cooked. 

It was a comfortable silence until an energetic Syoya bounded into the house with a loud _I’m home_ , now home from studying with friends. Upon seeing the two boys in the kitchen alone, he winked so quick that it would be gone in a blinks time, scurrying off upstairs before Sho could even offer him the dinner that he was cooking. 

Before Keigo knew it, he was being shoved to sit down at the dining table with a plate of omurice in front of him. Sho seemed to be in a good mood, and Keigo was going to relish every single second. 

“Thank you for the food Sho-kun, it looks delicious. Let’s eat,” Keigo smiled widely at the older, ready to dig in. His heart stopped upon seeing the ketchup design that the older made on his dinner. In clean lettering, the older spelled out the word ‘HELLO’ with the Japanese translation underneath. Keigo laughed hard at the translation, tears almost coming out of his eyes. With such a common word in any language, and especially in such a popular language as English, of course Keigo knew the word. 

“Hello,” Keigo whispered in the foreign language, finally bringing his eyes to Sho’s for the first time since being grabbed by the wrist and dragged to the table. His eyes met with the older’s warm, brown ones. Red dusted his cheeks in the softest way possible, melting the blonde right then and there. 

“Hi.”

“Sho-kun, if you’re going to be all embarrassed like that then why did you write it,” the younger teased softly, dipping his head to try and catch the older’s eyes as he looked away in haste. The other didn’t respond, instead turning his attention to his own omelette-covered rice, stars decorating his. 

Sad that the older wasn’t responding, he lightly kicked under the table until he felt the foot of the other, trying to get his attention. A smirk slowly grew across his face. He stuck the tip of his tongue out as me made contact again, eyes trained hard on Sho. When the older raised his eyebrows, eyes still not moving away from his food, the younger sighed. He kicked harder this time. 

Sho let out a small whine, eyes moving up as they met the energetic younger boy’s which were full of pure happiness. His foot reached out to find the other’s, feet becoming entangled as they started their little foot war. Pearly whites soon appeared, hidden behind their lips as it slowly got more aggressive, laughs spewing from their mouths which filled the whole house. Neither was backing down as they kept at it, toes hitting ankles. It was only a matter of time before one of the hit bone against one of the table’s legs.

Both became equally tired from trying to keep their legs up and away from the other, while simultaneously kicking into thin air. Instead, they called a truce, going to eat their slightly more cold dinner. 

Sho kept his foot out though, toes brushing up against the other for the remainder of their dinner.

* * *

The next day, Keigo dragged Junki out with him to go to the mall, a dazed smile across his face the whole car ride. 

“Okay, now you got me here, and for what? To be your chauffeur?” Junki pried, as he wasn’t given a warning when Keigo suddenly grabbed his arm and shoved car keys into his hand. 

“No, it’s for a birthday present,” Keigo sighed almost dreamily, eyes looking out across the long stretch of road in front of him.

Junki smirked, taking his eyes off the road for a split second to look at his friend. If that wasn’t the look of someone in love, or at least infatuation, then Junki wouldn’t know what is. The rest of the ride was quiet, and Junki wondered what was going through the blonde’s mind. He wondered what Keigo was going to give him as a present, figuring it could be a coat (he hated the ratty old one Sho brought to work with him), or maybe a pair of new shoes. Keigo was a sucker for pretty shoes. 

Instead, the moment the car was put into park, Keigo hopped out of the car like an excited kid, almost whining for Junki to hurry up. Junki snorted at the desperation in Keigo’s voice, and locked the car before being pulled into the large building and being dragged up a flight of stairs. He was surprised when Keigo stopped in front of a bright yellow store, the exterior’s vibe matching Keigo’s bouncy one.

“You–you want to get him a bear?” Junki asked, confused. 

“It’s a Build-a-Bear, you inconsiderate imbecile,” Keigo huffed, not even believing that Junki didn’t know the famous store before tugging at Junki’s arm to go inside. 

“Why are you getting Sho-kun a stuffed animal?” Junki asked, having no choice but to follow inside. Keigo’s eyes skimmed the various options of animals, a large variety that’s making Keigo’s head spin. He knew he wanted a bear, so he skipped the other options, narrowing down the boxes his eyes have to roam over.

His breath hitched when his eyes spotted a light, cream-colored bear, fur so soft it didn’t even feel like he was touching a physical object. The official name of it was ‘Happy Hugs Teddy’, and Keigo thought it was perfect for the older. 

“I had a bunch of these when I was a kid,” Keigo started, looking around in nostalgia at the store, memories of coming here with his mother in elementary school flooding his mind. He has all the originals, and then some. 

“They always helped me at night, when I went through a rough day. I would grab them and just hold them, knowing that someone loved me. It was calming, and I want Keigo to feel the calm that I felt, since you know how stressed he is now,” Keigo explained, eyes traveling back to the limp figure in his hands. Junki came over and put a soft hand on his shoulder, understanding now what Keigo wanted to convey. 

Now giddy with emotions, Keigo walks over with Junki towards the sound station, wondering if he should put something in the bear. He thought it would be cute to send a little message, but it hasn’t been so long for him to put anything intimate, such as a kissing sound or an ‘i love you’, and if he made one himself he didn’t know what to say.

“What about a sound? Maybe one of the laughing ones, or . . . hmm,” Keigo was indecisive. 

“Junki’s eyes glanced over the sounds, though he too thought that most of them weren’t for this type of present at this particular time. Then, he had a thought.

“Hey,” he bumped his shoulder with Keigo’s, “why now put in a giggle sound, but like it’s your laugh? A custom sound with you laughing, that would be so cute!” Junki, the ever hopeless romantic. 

Keigo looked at him like he was crazy, though the more he thought about it the more he realized it was exactly what he wanted. He picked up the custom sound button, turning it over his fingers. How would he laugh, though? It would sound forced if he just randomly did it, would it not?

“Here,” Junki took the button out of his hand and placed it on the table, in the slot where the sound would be transferred into the button. “I’ll tell a joke and you laugh, sound good?”

Still skeptical, Keigo hesitantly nodded.

“Want to hear a joke about a balloon? Oh, wait, it just got away from me!” Junki joked, quickly pressing the button to record as he waited for Keigo’s response. Instead of laughing, he just stared, questioning Junki’s sanity.

“Junki, that was such a lame joke I don’t even want to _fake_ laugh to save your dignity,” Keigo shook his head. Junki pouted at the hurtful words, before trying to think of something funny. As he put his hand down to lean on it, he miscalculated the flat surface below and his hand sunk into the box of the giggling buttons, crying out in pain. Just then at the sudden movement, Keigo laughed loudly at his pain. 

Thinking quickly, Junki pressed the record button (thank god they kept the button in the slot), capturing the beautiful sound that was Keigo’s laughter successfully. 

“P-please tell me,” Keigo started after catching his breath from laughing so hard, “that t-that was planned.”

“You think I plan for pain, sheesh. I don’t like you _that_ much,” Junki rolled his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. 

Either way, the blonde grabbed the button from the slot after listening to the recorded laughter, making sure it was perfect. 

The next stop was scents, and Keigo immediately grabbed for the lavender. It was his personal favorite, and was a universal for calm and soothing. Satisfied, he didn’t even need to look at the other scents, knowing that Sho would be happy with the soothing smell. He can already picture the older snuggling up with the bear at night, calm and serene. 

Keigo practically skipped over to the stuffing station, leaving Junki in his wake. The older scoffed, still looking at the other scents before dragging himself over to the bubbling tall blonde. 

The other two had a short conversation as Keigo handed over the bear, sound button, and scent to the stuffer.

“Is this for a special someone?” The young girl asked as she put the button into one of the paws, beginning to stuff the bear. 

“Ah, kind of. It’s a birthday present,” Keigo explained, becoming sheepish at the idea of a grown man giving someone else a bear. The girl smiled cutely, leaving it to Keigo’s business as the three of them chatted lightly until it was time to put the heat inside the bear.

When Keigo was younger, he was always giddy when he did the special routine for putting the heart inside the bear. Now as an adult, it seemed silly to be saying these childish words and doing the dance, but he did it wholeheartedly for Sho. The girl and Junki smiled fondly at Keigo as he dipped his head, finishing the routine and giving the stuffer the heart, waiting for her to finish and sew the bear up.

Walking away from the embarrassment, Keigo’s cheeks burned hot as the two friends stopped in front of the clothing section. He couldn’t give Sho the bear naked, so he took his time looking at all the options, wondering which outfit Sho would lie best. 

After taking way longer than he should, he decided on a white t-shirt, paired with suggested jeans from Junki. Lastly, Keigo decided on black sneakers, giving the bear a casual feel that was so much like Sho it hurt. Keigo giggled as he slipped the clothing on the bear, holding it up for Junki to see.

“He’s going to love it!” His friend exclaimed, happy along with him. He wasn’t expecting his friend to beall soft like this. It would be more of Junki’s style to buy the bear as a gift, rather than the blonde’s.

“What are you going to name him?” Juni asked as they walked over to the computers, the last step creating a birth certificate for the animal. 

“This is always the toughest part, naming kids,” Keigo jokes, though in reality he didn’t give much thought to it when he came up with the idea of gifting the bear to Sho for his birthday. He wished for names to start coming into his brain, but it seems like it’s short circuited, nothing coming to mind. 

“Why not keep it short and simple? Yona, for his last name. That way he knows it’s his, it’s personal, and nothing to scare him off, yeah?” Junki suggests softly, encouraging Keigo to type the name in. The other smiles at the offer, thanking him for the suggestion as he finalizes the certificate, heart clenching. 

The two walk to the register and Keigo pays for the bear and clothes, excitement returning as his credit card goes through. He accepts the box, making it super official. He’s practically skipping out the door, Junki chasing after him as they complete the birthday gift mission.

The ride home was filled with Keigo chatting about the gift, and Sho, and the birthday party, and Sho, and the dog on the street, and Sho. Junki thought it was excessively cute that Keigo liked the eldest so much, wondering when he would begin to get that feeling too. As of now, everyone in the house was a good friend to Junki and nothing more, maybe because he always wanted to make people around him comfortable he never stepped out to _really_ treat someone. 

Before they stepped out of the car, Keigo slapped his hand to the side erratically, coming in contact with Junki’s chest. 

“What now?” Junki questioned, hissing in pain at Keigo’s hard slap.

“What if Sho is home?” Eyes wide, he turned to Junki, looking for a solution as to not get caught with the birthday present.

Junki sighed, lightly laughing at the other as he looked back at the house. “Okay, I'll distract Sho if he’s in the area.”

“Oh, you blessed soul,” Keigo could have kissed Junki as he hopped out of the car, very badly hiding the big box behind his skinny legs. 

Rolling his eyes, Junki whipped the car keys around his finger as he entered the house, yelling to those within earshot that he was home. He came to see Ren and Takumi sitting on the couch — not close enough for the hopeless romantic that was Kono Junki — maybe a foot apart, the pink-haired boy curled into the couch as Ren stretched his legs out. They both looked over at the new person in the house, welcoming him back.

“Ahh, is Sho around?” Junki asked, rubbing the back of his neck. The other boys said he wasn’t in the house, out with Syoya to take him shopping. 

Meanwhile, Keigo stalked inside the house, a silly image for such a tall man with an equally large box trying to become as small as he could. Junki looked behind him, spotting the other and shaking his head, leaving the two in the living room and a still crouching Keigo wandering upstairs to his room to get ready for a shift at his new job as a kitchen assistant he got last week. It wasn’t a chef position, but he was just starting at the restaurant so it was expected for him to not start as a chef right away, but nevertheless he’s come to love the small job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all thought he was going to spend daddy's money didn't you? never guessed keigo was an inner sweetheart afterall


	16. Episode 16. "Auditions are for Losers"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zayn - Entertainer

Almost a week after Ren was pulled into the dance circle of the busking group, Ren returned to Tokyo. He is currently standing in front of the Lapone Entertainment building, mind blank as he cranes his neck to stare up at the skyscraper. Honestly, how many floors were in this building?

Mustering up some courage, he let out a shaky breath as his hand gripped the company card, corner of it digging into his palm. The door swings open without a sound, sleek and surprisingly not as heavy as Ren imagined it would be. It was modern inside, grey tile flooring that picked up on the tiniest of noises, and thick black bars framing each gigantic window pane. A seating area of various tables and cushioned chairs were to his right with conference rooms to his left, while the front desk was directly in front of him.

It was audition day, and there was already a line forming. You couldn’t miss it, what with the large banner that so clearly suggests an audition is happening with the words _Welcome to Lapone Entertainment! It’s Audition Day!_

Ren clears his throat and walks over to the rapidly forming line, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he glances over — or tries to — the heads of the other hopeful dancers and singers. Many are taller than he is, and he wonders what these kids have been eating that he didn’t when he was growing up.

He thinks it’s been at least a half an hour until he gets to the front of the line, standing in front of an overly cheery female. Ren thinks she is either new at the job, or just really likes the craziness of audition day to be smiling that widley at him. He wasn’t even the first too, so she must have been like this since the beginning, and who knows what they opened their doors. She welcomes him to the company building and asks him if he brought documentation with him.

“Well, um, about that,” Ren scratches underneath his ear, an embarrassed smiling appearing slowly. “I was offered to come on the street, I have the company card he gave me.”

The girl’s eyebrows shoot up; maybe he was the first (or possibly only) person to come by today with this type of situation. She grabs the card that Ren is holding out for her and looks it over, before spotting the recruiter name on the bottom of the card. She hums softly, before nodding in affirmation.

“You don’t need documentation then, I believe. Please, you can go through those doors over there,” She points to the large, light grey doors at the end of the hall behind her. He hasn’t seen anyone go through those doors, they were all going into the ones that were directly next to the table where he was at now. Quite confused, but trusting the employee he smiles gratefully and bowing, taking the card when she offers it back. Ren walks to the large doors almost too quickly, embarrassed to be the only one down the hallway for the other auditioners to see. 

Ren opens the door to an empty room. It was small, scarce of everything besides a simple wooden table, two chairs sat opposite of each other, and a camera in the corner of the room. Ren could only guess what the room was for, and it wasn’t a long shot to say that he was probably right.

A few minutes passed where he looked around aimlessly, scared to touch or move anything, when the door opened again. It revealed the recruiter from the previous week, all smiles as he greeted the younger.

“Pleased to see you again, I’m glad you’ve taken my offer and came,” he said, closing the door behind him and gesturing for the both of them to take a seat in at the table. 

“Let me start off by introducing myself. My name is Hiroyuki Yabe, and I am a recruiter for Lapone Entertainment. Basically, I walk around Tokyo and other large cities in Japan a few times a week, looking for special people that catch my eye. People just like you, Kawashiri-kun.”

Ren tilted his head at the older, wondering how he knew his name. He didn’t say it, or anything at all, when the man approached him on the street, certainly not his name. Hiroyuki chuckled at his confusion.

“I know who you are, Kawashiri Ren. You think Lapone doesn’t know the best of the best in the country?” He smiles, before leaning onto the table with his hands crossed. 

“Your old company was a big one, I admit that. We know how they work, but we also know who they worked for when other artists came to the country looking for backup dancers, and it just so happens we found out the names of those back up dancers. You name, being one of them. You’ve got something special, kid,” he leans back in the chair, glancing around the room before he settles his gaze back on Ren. “I’ve seen your dancing from those artists’ stages, I know you can learn choreography. That’s a given. But what you did last week, being pulled into the circle with those guys out of the blue, and dancing just as good if not better is incredible if I must say.”

The praise made Ren go shy, fingers twirling underneath the table as his eyes were cast down. The praise that has been given to him in the past week was overwhelming, not used to the compliments that were given so easily, so natural from the others, like it made sense. He couldn’t wrap his head around it, he was just dancing. 

“You need more confidence in yourself,” Hiroyuki stated, observing the downcast boy. He didn’t understand his actions. “You know that you already passed the first audition stage, that’s why you’re here. You’re _that_ good, Kawashiri-kun. I don’t do that with just anyone, hell I can count all the people I’ve done that to on both hands! And i've been doing this for a while now, too. Look at the card I gave you,” his voice softened for the boy.

Ren glanced up, before slowly pulling his hands out from under the table to rest them on top, fingers rubbing over the company card. It was simple and sleek, words delicately written across a beige background. It contained the company name and number, as well as the name and contact information for Hiroyuki Yabe. Ren didn’t understand what was different about it, flipping over the card to inspect the back. It was blank. He glanced up at the older, questioning his intentions. 

Hiroyuki laughed, face softening for the first time since entering the room. It made Ren feel slightly more at ease. 

“I don’t give my name and contact information to just anyone, Kawashiri-kun. Usually I just inform them about the company and give them a different card, one with only the company name and information. But the one you got was special.”

Ren didn’t know what to say. He didn’t think he was special, far from it actually. That’s why he’s worked so hard and put in so much effort, but it still wasn’t being recognized so he thought he wasn’t good enough. 

“Thank you,” it was the first words the younger had said to the older since their first interaction last week. It was sincere, almost a cry for help. He was starved from the praise, and getting it now made him realize what he’s been working for all this time. Hiroyuki smiled at that, nodding briefly before continuing on.

“You might be wondering about this little room. It’s the next part of the audition, an interview for the company. Really, it can be up to you to decide when you want to start it since all the other auditioners would be in the first stage for quite a while, but it’s not like you have all day either. I will give you some time to-”

“I would like to begin the interview now. If that’s okay, please,” the younger interrupted, only to shrink back in his chairs upon realizing the inappropriate mannerism. The older only chuckled at the enthusiasm, happy that Ren was starting to accept these new turn of events for him. He nodded once again, letting Ren know he would leave and bring in the official interviewer. 

The grey-haired male let out a shaky breath after the recruiter left him alone in the tiny room. His mind was spinning with all sorts of possibilities, but he just wanted to get the interview over with when he had at least some of his thoughts in order and emotions somewhat in check. 

Not even five minutes later, a woman came into the small room, different from the one before. He smiled shyly at her before greeting one another, then both returning to their seats. 

“Hello Kawashiri-kun. I will be interviewing you today,” she introduced herself, before leaning back in her chair, a binder now spread open across the table in front of her, “don’t be nervous, this is hardly the worst part.”

Ren eased at the blinding smile she gave him, before taking in a deep breath and letting it out like he would at the beginning of dance practices.

“Okay, question number one. I know you’re a dance trainee recruited from Yabe-san, so you must be talented in that aspect. I want to know if you could give us some insight into how you view yourself and your performances.”

_Starting with the hard hitting questions, huh?_

What did Ren think of himself? Average. Solid. He wasn’t exceptional, by any means. He just loved to dance, simple as that. What he loves most is seeing improvement. He loves to record his dances — no matter how messy they are at the beginning of learning the choreography — just to view it back, days, weeks, even months later as he’s practiced and practiced and practiced. It started as a habit from his mom, who recorded him dancing from a young age. He would see them in home movies the family watched at random times, always getting hot over the embarrassing coos his older brother directed at him. He didn’t like those mocking tones, so he would instead secretly take the video at night and watch it when everyone was asleep, learning how to dance silently and accurately at night. It would become routine for him, enough so that he would tap to the beat that was always running through his head. His mother would watch him out of the corner of her eye, a smile softening her features as her eyes lingered on his motions getting more fluid by the day. One day she started taping him when he wasn’t looking, adding it to the collection that she didn’t know Ren was secretly watching. From then on, Ren would dance more around the house, radiating at the praise by day and getting better at night. Even with those efforts, he wasn’t seen at his old company by how he wished he would be seen, confidence slowly diminishing. Even if his fellow trainees always looked up to him, a professional’s opinion meant the world and then some. 

Without even noticing, he seemed to have said all of this outloud, pouring his heart out in front of the interviewer and camera. 

“Oh, you seemed to answer my next question too — how and why you got into the entertainment industry — that’s perfect! You’re truly inspiring, you know that Kawashiri-kun?”

“Oh, I-I’m not, no,” Ren stuttered at the sudden word. Inspiring. That’s all he’s ever wished for, and it felt weird now that it was suddenly directed at him. Maybe things were changing for the better.

The other smiled knowingly, reassuring the younger before going on to ask more questions; about the company, his interests and hobbies, and why he decided to accept the recruiter's invitation to audition. It seemed like eternity and Ren has a headache, but he’s grateful to finally get everything off of his chest that’s been eating at him for weeks, some things even years. 

After an hour he’s able to get up, stretching as the interview concludes. He’s able to get food that the company offers to all the auditioners, stomach growling from the lack of food. He barely ate breakfast, the audition made him so nervous. He only drank coffee on the bullet train, and can start to feel the energy drain.

Within an hour, Ren’s name is called from where he sits alone amongst the other boys. It was loud, catching the attention of everyone else. He tells himself that they’re jealous, as he feels their eyes burning holes in the back of his shirt as he gets up, walking behind the employer who called out his name. Once again, he is brought back into that stuffy interview room and left alone for a few minutes before a familiar face pops in again. 

“So we meet again,” Hiroyuki laughs easily, making Ren squirm in his chair. He just wants to know what was going on, and why he was called back in. Did he say something wrong?

“By the looks of it you still don’t understand what’s happening to you, but I promise it’s good. Really, I can’t believe you don’t think you’re good enough,” the older shakes his head, but then continues anyways, “since you’ve been the only one so far to interview, the bosses upstairs got bored so i brought them your tape. It was easy, and with how we knew your name, thus your dancing, I am proud to say that you’ll be joining Lapone Entertainment from here on out. Welcome home, Kawashiri trainee.”

* * *

There was a celebratory dinner that night for Ren as he came home, feigning sadness before jumping up and down once seeing everyone was home. 

The others were startled by his backwards actions, crying one minute and then smiling the next, out of the loop until Ren screamed from the top of his lungs his new trainee status. The boys almost knocked the grey-haired dancer to the ground with hugs and sharp pats on the back, practically more excited for him than Ren was. 

Tears sting the corners of Ren’s eyes at their reaction. He would’ve collapsed if the boys weren’t there to hold him up.

“Ah, Ren-kun! Why are you crying, there’s no room for tears in this household!” The always bright Junki cried out, reaching out to ruffle the older’s hair. Ren giggled through the tears at the action. He’s never felt this type of love before, and wants to savor every second of it while it lasted.

Takumi was the last to hug him, the forever shy boy wishing to hold him in his arms but already embarrassed by the words from the others for actions he hasn’t even displayed yet. His heart warmed at the scene of everyone congratulating the older, smiling so wide his cheeks hurt. Almost immediately his hands reached out like a child reaching for candy, he didn’t even notice the automatic action. 

“Ren,” the younger whispered his name as he came close, getting pulled into the warm embrace of the other. Ren threaded his fingers through the younger’s hair affectionately as the other breathed compliments and admiration into his neck, squeezing him tight. They rocked for a second before Ren pulled back slightly, laughing at the cheesiness.

With Takumi’s face so close to his, feeling his breath on his jawline, Ren didn’t know how he could still breathe. He wanted to push away, afraid of the younger’s reaction of being so close to him as well as their eyes met, but neither moved. It was suffocating, being this close to Takumi and yet so far, not being able to do what he wanted. Under prying eyes, Ren cleared his throat, pushing the pink-haired boy away gently as he asked if everyone else ate already, claiming he was starving. 

“Not yet, golden boy. It’s your choice tonight,” Junki grinned, already swiftly moving towards the kitchen. The nickname jolted an old memory inside Ren, sadness sweeping over his features as he excused himself suddenly into the night outside. 

“I was wondering when you’d call,” Ren could practically see the tired smile on his old friend’s face from through the phone as he called up Satoshi. Hearing it now, he didn’t realize just how much he was missing his old life in Tokyo, even if the company was shit sometimes. 

Ren groaned at his words, again feeling tears forming. He hastily pushed at his eyes, keeping a sleeve covering both as he breathed out heavily. 

“I know, I know. God, I know. It’s on my mind every single day, Toshi-kun,” he almost sobbed at the younger, but knew better than to. Ren’s convinced himself that he’s fine, and tries to convince the others from the few texts he’s sent the old group chat between the six of them. 

“The practice room is quiet without you. Kosuke’s been blaring American music now, you know.”

Ren kept silent.

“Jun talks about you constantly,” he continues, chuckling sadly at the memories he’s made without Ren. It elicits a sob caught in Ren’s throat, arm still over his eyes to catch the tears that keep coming. 

“I miss you,” Ren’s voice breaks into the phone, and the cracking static on the other end from which Satoshi hears doesn’t make the younger feel better.

“C-can we get together soon? I miss you too,” Satoshi asks hesitantly, not wanting to upset the older more. Instead, Ren cried out in relief, so scared the others would have hated him for leaving. 

“Y-yes, oh god yes,” he breathes heavily, voice cracking in the crisp night air. He doesn’t notice the faint shadows of his roommates looking on from inside the well lit house. 

“I have to tell you something, all of you actually. Let’s make a plan, yeah? Maybe this weekend?” Ren suggests, knowing it’s the only time he’ll have open this week. There was silence on the other end for a few moments before Satoshi answered with a yes, saying his schedule was free as well. Both are now crying together, tears of joy as they plan for their reunion. 

Once they’re finished, Ren hangs up the phone with a sad smile one his face, head between his hands as he rests his elbows on his knees. He sighs deeply, trying to catch his breath from the heavy sobs from earlier. He sniffs loudly, not hearing the outside door sliding open which happened at the same time. He didn’t know when Takumi came out to sit besides him, but wasn’t startled either when he felt the presence beside him.

Instead, Ren leans into the other’s side as the pink-haired boy wrapped an arm around Ren’s waist, being his support. They sit like that, Junki’s home cooked meal gone from their minds as they enjoyed the calming night together. Takumi chuckled lightly as it seems like they’re always caught together at night. Before, it was just Ren who resided in the darkness, shining solo. Now with Takumi next to him, maybe he’s joined the dark side now too, all thanks to the prince of the night; Kawashiri Ren.


	17. Episode 17. "Not as Scary as it Seems"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> alextbh - no space

That Friday ensued unexpected chaos. 

First, it was the desserts. Junki insisted on helping the couple — wait they’re not a couple — make Sho’s birthday desserts on top of the special birthday dinner he had planned out. 

_"It’s called perfection, strawberry, look it up."_

Takumi was focusing on the vanilla frosting, sticking on edible eyes to make cute little ghosts while Ren frosted some green, sticking tiny eyeballs, bones, and other sorts of dots to make it look like a witchy cauldron. It was going smoothly until about halfway through Junki plopped himself down next to the pink-haired male, poking at the placements of the eyeballs. With a slightly irritated sigh, Takumi pushed some cupcakes over to the older to help frost knowing he was just itching to do something. 

The rest of the boys were either at work or school, as it was the middle of the day, making it easy for the others to start the preparation of Sho’s birthday party. In a couple of hours, Syoya would be coming back, arms chock full of party streamers, hats, table cloths and anything else; you name it, it’s probably buried deep in the arms of Syoya. Unfortunately for the other two boys, it was much too early to be getting started on dinner, and Junki turns out to get very antsy.

“Junki, did you get Sho a present?” Ren questions innocently, eyes focused on piping a perfect green circle on top of the chocolate cupcakes.

“A present? No I-” as Junki started, his head popped up like a meerkat, mouth agape as he stared at the grey-haired male smirking right back at him. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten a present for Sho, the one person in the house that actually takes the man seriously and helps whenever he can.

“Damn it!” Junki sighs. He doesn’t know what to get Sho, but if he sticks around the house any longer then he would have nothing at all to give the eldest. So instead, he shoots the older a weak grin, thanking him as he stumbles over his feet out of the house. 

Ren laughs after him, before settling his gaze on the one in front of him.

“Strawberry?”

Ren let the new nickname melt off his tongue like butter, giving it a new meaning to Takumi that was oh so very different from the friendly affection gracing the word from Junki. It sent shivers down his spine and he tried hard to make it not show how much the simple word was affecting him. Instead, he let out a weak laugh, bent head shaking. 

“I look like a strawberry . . . I eat strawberries, so apparently _it was only natural_ , to quote Junki-kun,” Takumi explained, quirking the corner of his lips up. 

“Hmm . . . I like it, it suits you. I must have to take it from him then, huh Strawberry?” Even though the older was smiling, that was only indication that there was something playful going on. If Takumi wasn’t looking at him while he was speaking, the sensual trace and sudden deep tone of Ren’s voice would have made him sink to the floor right then and there. Ren bites his tongue lightly, nose scrunching up in just the slightest and Takumi just wants to scream. 

“Okay, _Renren_ ,” Takumi wrinkled his nose at Ren, acting cute because the air was just way too hot and stuffy for the young and inexperienced boy. Just looking at the boy now was making him flush the same color as his hair. He instead nestled his nose into the frosting — not literally thought that would be gross and disrespectful to Sho’s poor birthday desserts — as he’s closing in on the last few cupcakes. Takumi takes his time now; focusing on the cupcakes puts his rapidly beating heart at ease and he doesn’t want to die of a heart attack just yet. He’s too young.

Ren just watches the younger, completely forgetting about his own cupcakes that are spread out before him, waiting for decoration. He likes seeing the concentration on the other’s face as his eyes try hard not to look up, mouth opening in a small gasp when the frosting goes a little too much over the side of the cupcake. Ren chuckles lightly, reaching over to smooth out the cupcake and goes to stick his finger in his mouth, licking it clean. His eyes become hooded, contrary to the light chuckle that just escaped from his mouth. 

_He didn’t just do that. Your mind is playing tricks, yeah, that must be it._

His breath hitched, though he pretended not to see that disgustingly attractive scene before him as he mumbled a shy thanks for helping him. Ren gives him a once over, before smiling widely as if what he just did didn’t actually happen, and Takumi just about convinces himself that it didn’t. That he was overthinking, high off of the attention and affection that Ren was giving him recently. So he lets out a breath and goes to finish the cupcakes, prying his mind away from the dancer for a while and towards Sho, trying to make the last few the best he can. 

So what if Ren’s a little evil. Pink’s become his favorite color now, so who’s to blame him when he does anything and everything he can to see his favorite color spread across his favorite person’s cheeks. The two go hand in hand, fit like a glove and Ren couldn’t just ignore it. There was no ignoring it, not when Takumi was sitting two feet away.

Somewhat satisfied with the younger’s reaction, he also goes back to frosting the cupcakes for Sho’s birthday. The two work in comfortable silence, sneaking peeks at each other and the other’s cupcakes every few minutes. 

Sometimes, Ren would steal a candy eyeball from Takumi even though he has more than the younger. He liked to see the way Takumi would pout, huffing in a baby-like manner when he couldn’t get it back. It went on like that for a while, the older teasing the younger. The cat and mouse game, taken to a much larger scale. Ren’s tongue would slide over his teeth, poking the inside of his cheek as Takumi made a comment about how Ren was just jealous of his cupcakes, or how Ren wished he had the skills that the pink-haired male possessed. 

Just like that, an hour has gone by of them lightly joking with each other until a breathless Syoya runs into the house, Junki following only a few minutes later. 

“Why are you running?” Ren chuckles at the youngest, watching from his seat as the other leans on his knees to catch his breath.

“I- decorations- before Sho, y’know?” Syoya asks between breaths, glancing around frantically. Both the boys at the table snort at the youngest. Syoya then wanders over to the dining table dropping the mountains of bags down onto the table. 

He then proceeded to pull out streamers upon streamers in colors of black, orange and white. Next was the table decorations; a spiderweb plastic tablecloth, as well as black and orange spider rings. Adding to the mess on the table were shiny Jack-o’-Lantern hanging decorations that came down in swirls. Napkins and paper plates came next; the boy was really going out with the holiday spirit, the others were impressed with his commitment. Syoya’s hands kept reaching into each seemingly endless paper bag, pulling out more and more decorations by the second. 

“Syoya, where’d you get all of this stuff? Or maybe I should ask how you’re able to afford this much stuff, instead,” Takumi glanced over the table in awe, hands reaching for the fake spiders, “since you're a university student and all. Can’t say I had enough money to buy this much when I was in school.”

“Keigo’s not the only sugar daddy,” Syoya winks.

“Actually that’s a lie, I went with Keigo and he bought all of these, and he's with Sho right now, distracting him,” his voice goes high at the end, eyebrows wiggling suggestively. Junki slaps the younger on the arm, going to help with the decorations but wondering where to start. He gives up instead, sighing deeply as he walks over to the kitchen to do what he does best; cook.

“Did you forget to buy birthday decorations, though?” Ren questioned, getting up to peer into one of the bags. 

“You must really think I’m a fool, that hurts you know,” Syoya feigned heartbreak before dramatically pulling out happy birthday banners and hats from a separate bag. The others sigh in relief, almost not trusting the younger.

“Alrighty,” the youngest clapped his hands, shaking his head to the side to brush his long bangs out of his eyes. They brighten up, skimming the visible areas as his mind jumps all around on how to decorate the kitchen, dining room, and possibly living room as well. 

“Shall we start?”

It takes the boys just under an hour to decorate the downstairs. Having multiple tape getting stuck onto itself doesn’t help them with their time management either. It really didn’t help when it was Takumi who was trying to tape the hanging pumpkin decorations from the ceiling, just a few inches — more like a few feet — too short. Ren laughed loudly, clapping like a seal at the cute boy who was only trying his hardest. And it _especially_ didn’t help them when Ren stopped what he was doing to just stare at the younger for a few minutes before deciding to take pity. He taps the other on the shoulder, motioning that he would help him and crouched down in front of the young boy, a hand tapping the other’s leg. Hesitantly, but knowing Ren wouldn’t give in, Takumi made a noise as he climbed onto Ren’s shoulders, only to make a similar and high-pitched noise again once the other stood. 

“R-Ren, I-” the younger started, very prone to losing balance. Ren adjusted his footing, steading himself easily with a light Takumi above him.

“I got you, Takkun. Now, here’s some tape,” the grey-haired grabbed a roll from the table besides him, lifting his hand up for Takumi to take and take the decoration up. They’re oblivious to the pair of eyes staring at them from the kitchen, looking on with fondness at the blossoming couple. 

Takumi’s giggling from the grip of Ren's hand on his thigh; he’s always been ticklish. That made the task go slower, Takumi slowly reaching his hands up to tape the decoration, not wanting to lose balance. He felt secure with Ren, knowing the strong grip would keep him safe, but even so it would also be his weakness. 

The three stand back, proudly look on at their masterpiece of the decorated place. Takumi squeals in delight, picturing the shocked face of Sho when he walks into the room. The boys bring the desserts over to the kitchen island for later, leaning over Chef Junki’s shoulder as he cooks his favorite pasta dish with a spooky twist. 

“Gross, what is that?” Syoya asked as his eyes witnessed the black inside the searing pan. 

“It’s squid ink silly. I’m making it holiday themed, and you’re going to act surprised when Sho comes in!” Junki pushes the boys out of the way with his hip, applying the finishing touches to his meal just as he hears the door creak open, announcing the two boys who have now arrived for the party.

“Ah, Sho! Surprise!” All the boys turned around, screaming happy birthday in the face of the oldest. The older’s eyes practically came out of his face, they were open so wide. Wide with wonder, with shock, and overall pure joy from the surprise party they gave him. He laughed out loud as it registered the theme of the party; with his birthday being so close and also one of his favorite holidays, it was perfect for the older. It was a welcoming scene following an exhausting day at work and sweet car ride with Keigo as the younger picked him up from work. 

“Oh my- is that real? Can I have it?” Sho spots the fake hand on the table, resembling the one from the Addam’s Family halloween movie. It was an all-time favorite for Sho, and while it might be creepy to others Sho would definitely bring it back with him to school to show those kids he means business. 

“Okay, big guy,” Keigo jokes, leading the older man to the dining table and making him sit down. 

“But seriously, you did this all for me?” Sho’s voice went quiet, glancing around at the multitudes of decorations. He almost didn’t recognize the house anymore as every single aspect was covered in some sort of cheap decoration or trinket. His lips formed a small pout, hands connecting with Keigo’s which were still on his shoulders. “I don’t even know what to say other than thank you, but that’s not quite enough for all of this.”

“Then don’t say anything at all, just dig in and enjoy,” Junki says enthusiastically, carrying a large pot of blackened to place in the center of the dining table. Other various side dishes have been already placed about the table; stuffed orange peppers that have been cut into the shape of Jack-o’-Lanterns, as well as curry with white rice balled up with a seaweed face, placed so it looked like there was a man sitting inside a curry bath. Sho snorts at the attempt of making the food Halloween themed, loving the idea. 

He’s overwhelmed with the effort, the blending of American and Japanese cultures bringing joy to his eyes as he glances over the table at the food and his friends. Tears start to form in the corner of his eyes and he chuckles, wiping at them. It wasn’t a time for crying, but instead a time for celebrating Sho’s 25th birthday. 

The six dig in, scarfing down the food as if they haven’t eaten in days — _"Junki, when you said this was your specialty you really meant it"_ — and enjoying each other’s company. Jokes are snuck in here and there, teasing always present at the dinner table. 

Sho thinks it’s the best birthday to date. He doesn’t remember a time when he laughed so hard for so long, food practically spitting everywhere when Syoya’s joke caught him at the wrong time — shoveling the curry into his mouth. It makes everyone else snort with laughter, causing hands flying to their mouth as food spews everywhere as well. It was an endless cycle, one person starting, another seeing and doing the same, then another and another and another. By the end of it the house was filled with joyous sounds of their giggles, happiness filling the air. 

Soon it was time to give the birthday boy his presents as they all sat around, munching on the cupcakes Ren and Takumi decorated. Takumi was the first to shove his at Sho, a small box that consisted of a Japanese to English translation book as well as a flower charm; a hibiscus. 

“I thought it suited you. It means gentle, and I think that’s you to a ‘T’,” Takumi smiled shyly, sitting back into his seat as he curled into himself. Sho smiled and thanked the younger, already knowing where to put the charm. He laughs at the book, lightly scolding him by asking him if he really thought Sho needed it, but thanked him nonetheless. Takumi didn't have time to react before it was Junki’s turn to give a gift. 

Junki got him a mug that said “English is a difficult language. It can be understood through tough thorough thought, though.” It made Junki’s head spin when he looked at it, but he recognized the American alphabet and the word ‘English’ and thought it was enough to buy and would put a smile on the older’s face. And it did, even if Sho had to scrunch up his face to understand the words.

Ren was next, putting a tall bag in his hands. It was a bottle of wine, one of Sho’s favorites. He thanked the younger wholeheartedly, whispering (quite loudly) that it was his favorite gift by far, much to the discouragement of the others. Scoffing, Syoya declared that he would give the best present, putting his box into the waiting hands of Sho.

What Syoya got him was unconventional, but so worth it. He gifted the older scissors and a mirror, wondering when he would cut his hair. Sho retaliated by almost using them on the younger’s long and shaggy bangs, making him shriek like the witch he was while everyone else looked on in tears of laughter.

Lastly, after the laughter has subsided, Keigo asked Sho if he could give him his present upstairs when it lay hidden in his closet. Curious, Sho followed the blonde, conscious of the obvious stares on his back by the younger roommates. 

They entered Keigo’s room, the boy going straight to his closet but not opening it just yet. He bit his lip, becoming shy very quickly.

“Okay, maybe a little embarrassing, but I swear I have reasons,” Keigo started as he opened the closet door, pulling out the now lightly decorated box that the stuffed animal comes in. It looked like the house the boys were staying at, with the same random scratch mark on one of the sides of the box that was similar to the one on the front of the house. Sho smiled at the detail.

It was quite surprising, to say the least, when Sho saw that it was a stuffed teddy bear. Though, he wouldn’t trade it for the world. Gently, he opened the box and lifted the bear from its holder, eyes blinking slowly as he took in every detail and feel of the bear. It was soft and plush, just the right amount of stuffing for a comfortable snuggle. His eyes trailed from the bear to the blonde, shining. 

Keigo rubbed the back of his neck, the other hand fiddling with the seam of his shirt. 

“I thought you might want something to comfort you. I hear those kids are stressful,” he jokes, before taking a deep breath, “and I know that for me having a stuffed animal always made me calm down at night. I thought you could hug it at night, and know that someone is there for you.”

Sho softened at Keigo’s words, walls gradually breaking down. His gaze returned to the soft bear in his hands, fingers trailing over the fur. His fingers con in contact with one of the paws, feeling the hard button before pressing it. An angelic sound comes from the bear, startling the older but then warming his heart once he realized the sound. He sniffed once, eyes returning to the younger before bringing him in for a tight hug. 

“Thank you,” Sho whispered, eyes and throat burning. 

“Hey, if I knew it would make you cry I wouldn’t have bought it for you,” Keigo laughed lightly.

“No!” Sho shouted, before becoming soft again. “Sorry, I- just no, I love it, really. I’ll think of you every time I look at it,” he smiles softly, eyes trailing over the bear once again before connecting with the shy boy in front of him. Keigo’s breath hitched at the emotions hidden in the older’s eyes, reaching out a finger to graze the other’s cheek. He brushed a stray hair back, gaze softening. 

Later that night, the boys were found in the same bed, cuddled close together, the bear wrapped tightly in Sho’s arms.

Meanwhile downstairs, Takumi offered to wash the dishes, Ren quickly stepping in to help as well before anyone else got the chance to be with him. The strawberry-haired one smiled, happy to be with Ren as he washes and the other dries. 

“Hmm, you’re good at that Takkun,” the nicknames are coming more easily now to Ren, relishing every single embarrassed look from the younger as he could never get used to it. They bump shoulders, though no one pulls away this time. It spreads butterflies in the younger’s stomach, and he can’t wait for them to leave so he doesn’t feel like throwing up all the time when he’s near the grey-haired male.

“Huh?”

Ren’s exasperated. “I’ve been flirting with you all day, Takumi. God, you’re unbelievable,” he sighs, the words just flowing out of him without Ren even registering it, “just- can I ask you something?”

Takumi just stares back, not even registering the second part as his head was still stuck on the word _flirt_. Ren, flirting with _him_? His mouth hung open slightly, and Ren had to repeat the question again before Takumi closed it, shaking out of his thoughts.

“Y-yes,” he answered, stomach twisting. Ren mustered up his courage, staring directly into Takumi's eyes.

“Can i take you out, like on a date?”

All Takumi felt was lightheadedness. Elation and ecstasy clouded his vision as a small smile made its way onto his mouth automatically at the words. It’s been a month of becoming painful friends with the other, when he really just wanted to get a little bit closer than they were right now. Maybe it was a dream, but he didn’t know how to react when it became real. Takumi looked away, blushing hard. 

“Well?”

Takumi’s eyes met the almost desperate look in the other’s face. It became hard to breath. It was weird, but Takumi almost liked it, the way his throat caught at the way Ren was looking at him now. God, he would do anything to keep Ren looking at him like that.

“Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also metric system who? i’m sorry i hate america too, maybe i should switch over also.
> 
> p.s. it only took 17 chapters for ren to ask takumi out, i'm so proud
> 
> p.p.s. it's boutta get wild within the next like 5 or so chapters
> 
> p.p.p.s. i should probably start cracking down on my schoolwork as i have finals in like 2 weeks so who knows about the update schedule but i'll try to be consistent! thank you all for reading and liking it so far!
> 
> p.p.p.p.s. i'm also really sorry for all the grammar mistakes i've made so far i just kinda do it as i go along but i guess i don't check my work enough, i should probably start doing that


	18. Episode 18. "The First Date Pt. 1"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keshi - magnolia

Ren feels like he’s wasting away his entire bank account as he travels to and from Tokyo for a good couple of weeks now. Even with the break in between changing companies, he’s been at the studio almost every day since the audition from earlier in the week. Now it’s Saturday morning and he’s back in Tokyo to meet up with his former fellow trainees and forever friends. 

He heard them before he saw them. 

Of course, they would be the ones to be loud like that in the middle of Shibuya Crossing, (almost) grown adults shouting and hollering once they saw the grey-haired male. The five must’ve looked like they were jumping the grey-haired male from outsiders, but it was pure love and affection that radiated and Ren was doubling over with laughter.

“Ah, I love this color!” Ren has never seen a wider smile on the older’s face than the one that blessed his face right now. Maybe Satoshi was right when he said how much the group missed the main dancer at practices. Ren snorted, hand barely touching the older’s still black hair before asking him if he were to color it. 

“No, way, Ren-kun,” Kosuke stepped back from the older, fingers brushing through his bangs. “I can’t pull off color like that.”

Ren smirked, a knowing smile on his face as a certain someone popped into his mind, knowing that he would choose just the right color for the older. 

A body suddenly ran into him, arms wrapping tightly around the whole dancer, arms stuck in the embrace. “Don’t you dare ever leave me like that,” Satoshi complained, sniffling into his shoulder as he hid his sad face. The older sighed, resting his head on the younger’s before promising not to stay away. 

For a while, Ren didn’t talk much in the group chat. He was embarrassed, and afraid that his fellow dancers would hate him for what he did. Instead of being a role model, Ren thought he acted inappropriately, storming out like a toddler even if management also had childish rules. Ren had left them alone, the main dancer and one of the ones who learned choreography the faster now gone as they had to rework lineups and positions. 

“Satoshi-kun,” Inoue whined, tugging on the older’s arm, “I thought we were going to have a fun time here. No crying, we promised!”

The male detached his crushingly-strong arms from around the older, making Ren finally be able to breathe again. He mumbled apologies, the palm of his hand wiping away stray tears that have escaped since releasing the older. 

“It’s good to see you, Ren-kun, but seriously. We didn’t have to meet in Tokyo, you’re living three hours away! That’s a long ride, not to even mention the money,” Fumiya was distraught by the older insisting in the group chat that he would meet them in Tokyo. The dancer felt bad enough as it is, so he didn’t want to make the others have to go through more trouble in trying to get to Nagano, or just some random place in the middle.

“Well, I’m used to it by now,” Ren rubbed the nape of his neck. If it weren’t for the action, the other dancers would have thought that it was because Ren still had gone to the studio while just moving into the house, but it’s also been a couple of weeks since he quit. They looked at him questingly, some of their gazes cast down in knowing. 

“What do you mean?” That was Satoshi. He wasn’t out at the time of witnessing Ren being in Tokyo the week prior, as well as Inoue who stayed in the dance studio while the other members went out for a walk. 

Here goes nothing.

“L-let’s go somewhere and talk, yeah?” It was weird for Ren to get all serious with them. 

The boys walked into a small but spacious coffee shop. Even in the middle of the day, there weren’t many people inside the shop, for which Ren was grateful. After ordering drinks, they wandered over to a seemingly large table but with the small furniture in the shop and the amount of boys, each sat to sit very close together. That made it all the more hard to breathe. 

Ren cupped his coffee in both hands, mind reeling about how he was going to break the news. It was a large company; the biggest and most famous in Japan. Just being there this past week, getting used to the new hallways and trainees, Ren’s overwhelmed by the sheer difference in both buildings. Any way he told it, him just being there could get misunderstood and Ren didn't want them to think he dropped the company only to join Lapone. 

“Ren?” Jun questioned. Quiet doesn’t look good on the boy who was, up until now, silent, looking on with affection and trying to contain his happiness by seeing Ren again. 

His throat made a strangling noise, skimming the others’ faces. “Please don’t be mad.”

“Why would we be mad at you, silly? Nothing is your fault,” Kosuke jokes, feigning innocence even though he knew about Ren’s current situation. He was almost positive that seeing the famous recruiter was what was making Ren all nervous, and he just wanted to scream at him that everything was alright and they weren’t mad. 

“Okay, okay. I- well look, this wasn’t my intention at all,” Ren looked down, fingernails tapping the side of the porcelain cup, “I was in Tokyo about a week, a week and a half ago maybe, just wandering around I guess. I missed this place,” Ren laughed weakly. 

“Anyways, I heard music. It was the type you see in the streets that groups dance to, you know the boy group ones. It kinda drew me in, I guess, and before I knew it I was standing at the edge of the circle, looking at the group. It made me sad, but _really_ happy at the same time,” Ren smiled fondly at the memory. He could still feel the same rush of excitement, hands itching to join the boys who were busking. 

“They did this bit where they played random music with no set choreography and pulled bystanders in. I was one of them. It happened so fast that before I knew it, I was dancing, and then not, and then being recruited,” Ren sucked in a deep breath. His eyes still haven't raised yet to meet the others, “and the company turned out to be Lapone Entertainment.”

It was silent for a moment, and Ren panicked.

“I swear, it wasn’t intentional. I miss you guys so much it physically _hurts_ , and I didn’t even know who he was at fi-” Ren’s talking fast now, trying to squeeze every word out of his body and into the open air before the inevitable interruption of maddened voices and drinks slamming down onto the table, hot liquid sloshing over the sides.

But that never came.

Instead, the interruption was from a melodic laugh and a soft voice. Nothing was mad about it, and there were no sounds of porcelain hitting the wooden table. 

“Ren-kun, please. That’s incredible, you don’t have to explain yourself,” Kosuke placed an arm gently on the younger’s.

“Yeah, we’re so happy for you Ren!”

“You deserve it!”

It was like the world kept spinning, faster and faster; so fast the Ren couldn’t keep up until it stopped all at once and Ren thought he was going to topple over. His vision cleared, finally seeing the joyful faces of his previous teammates. Relief washed over the grey-haired male as he sank in his chair at ease, finding comfort in the familiar smiling faces. 

Basically, Ren was crying now, contrary to the happy faces around him. He fell into the embrace of Kosuke, embarrassed by the snot mixing with tears. He’s cried a lot recently, and for some reason the tears are never ending. Hearing their words of assurance, full of love meant the world to the dancer. It was validation that he was doing something right, that he had people from his past behind him — no, _besides_ him — encouraging him to continue doing what he loved, even if it meant he had to leave others behind. 

“Dance practice isn’t the same. The other guys are nice, but I miss us,” Ren sniffles, reminiscing at how comfortable the six have become over the years. It’s only been a few days that Ren has been with the new trainees so of course they wouldn’t have become good friends in such a short amount of time; especially not with the thoughts running through his mind at the speed of light. 

“I miss us too, Ren-kun,” Inoue cooes at the older in a playful, high-pitched voice, trying to bring up his mood. It works, with Ren concealing a giggle behind his hand. 

“Make us proud then, Ren. Go get your debut,” Satoshi locks eyes with the older, a sad but encouraging smile softening his features. 

“I hate sadness, let’s stop this and focus on the positives! You’re here with us, and we want to know what else has been going on with you. You couldn’t have spent those two weeks at Lapone,” Kosuke releases Ren from his grip, taking a sip of his tea. 

A blush spreads quickly across the dancer’s cheeks, one that the others can’t miss even with the honey skin. His mouth opens but nothing comes out except for a light huff, words stuck in the back of his throat.

Inoue’s on the other side of Ren, already bumping his shoulder as he does his favorite hobby — teasing Ren. 

“Hmm, have you been doing more than just dancing, Ren? Or maybe it was just another kind,” he wiggles his eyes suggestively, until Ren pushes the younger off of him.

“No, oh my- no!” Ren cries out, heat rapidly enveloping his body at the thought of what Inoue was clearly suggesting. Fumiya laughed out loud, gaining the attention of the baristas at the back of the coffee shop. 

“Yeah, what about that guy, what’s his name . . . Oh! Takumi, right?” Jun jumped on the bandwagon of embarrassing Ren, smiling devilishly. 

A cold shiver ran down Ren’s spine at the mention of the pink-haired’s name, and the other dancers knew they hit the jackpot with that one. In just a short month, the other has been able to make his heart melt and have him waiting beck and call at the younger’s feet. Ren still kept silent. 

“Did something happen with him?” Kosuke questioned, eyes squinting at the younger’s reaction. Something was definitely up, what with the way Ren licked his dry lips, eyes diverting to the table. What gave it away was the automatic smile making its way onto Ren’s face. It wasn’t an embarrassing one, the one you would get with a small crush, or even just insinuating that someone else liked you. No, it was a genuine smile, one from knowing the person for a long time; intimately. 

Ren hummed, defeated. Guess he should tell his friends now, or they might tease him to death and Ren hasn’t even had his first kiss with the younger.

“Yeah, I, um . . . kinda asked him out last night . . .” Ren trailed off, eyes darting to everything except for his friends. He almost regretted the decision of telling them by hearing their loud squeals, an embarrassed blush dusting his features. 

“Ren-kun? Asking someone out! I didn’t think he had it in him!”

“The baby’s finally growing up!”

“Ren-kun, where are you taking him? When is it? We need to know _everything_.”

The anxious dancers were bombarding the other with questions, wanting to know more than just that he’s _”21 and really quiet”_ , to quote the older from a few weeks earlier. They wanted to know what he looked like, what he did for a living, when they were going to meet the one that stole Ren away from the dancers and turned him into a blushing mess. The attention was making his head spin.

“I asked him for tomorrow, and I kind of . . . ah . . . don’t know where we’ll be going yet,” Ren mumbled the last part, excruciatingly embarrassed. When he asked the younger yesterday, the words just flew out of his mouth without him even thinking. He thought that they would just stay in his head, but unfortunately for the older, sometimes his brain and his vocal words have a mind of their own. 

Kosuke slapped him on the back of his head — hard.

“You dimwit, what’s wrong with you?” He reprimanded, wondering how the boy could be such a dumbass sometimes. He could only figure that the boy has fallen so deep that he’s all messed up in the head, mouth too fast for his brain. 

“I know! I don’t-” Ren sighed, exhausted. He was swirling, body temperature rising with every passing second he thought he would pass out. Palms sweaty, he took them away from his coffee cup and wiped them on his jeans. 

“Well, now we gotta help Ren-kun with his date, huh? Then that means we _really_ get to meet the guy, you owe us,” Inoue smirked, snaggletooth on its full glory. 

The boys put their heads together, suggesting places here and there for Ren to take Takumi. Ren described him vividly for a while, so much to where the others could practically see him in the coffee shop with them. It was disgustingly cute how much in detail Ren went on about the pink-haired boy he now likes to refer to as _his strawberry_. 

In the midst of the options, Ren heard a soft voice then rung clear. It was from Satoshi, and Ren knew why he liked the younger so much.

* * *

It was unfortunate that Takumi had to work Sunday morning, but oh so fortunate for Ren since he’s always wanted to be able to pick up his partner from work. He thought the action was cute and thoughtful, being able to open the door for his boyfriend and hold his hand while driving, Ren loved every single bit. He arrived just in time for Takumi’s shift to end in the early afternoon.

Maybe it was weird for Ren to arrive at the flower shop with his own set of flowers. They weren’t picked up from the shop since Takumi would already be there and he wanted the bouquet to be a surprise.

He whistled lightly as he waited outside, thumbing some of the petals of certain flowers that caught his eye. A soft smile appeared on his face as he wondered which flowers Takumi liked the best. As he bends down to look at the ones near the ground, a light tap on his shoulder makes him jump out of his skin.

“I’m sorry, Ren-kun! I didn’t mean to scare you!” Takumi yelps at the other’s reaction, one hand covering his mouth while the other hides behind him. Once Ren sees the shocked face of the younger, he softens, happy that it was Takumi and not someone else.

Instead, he steps forward and holds out the small bouquet he bought him.

“Here. I used to look at these everyday when I was younger, and always wanted to give them to someone on a date. They’re magnolias, though I’m sure you know about them,” Ren chuckled, seeing it fitting to be giving Takumi flowers on their first date. The younger blushes, and Ren continues anyways, explaining the meaning whether or not the younger is aware, “it’s only fitting that I give these to someone noble, a lover of nature. Though most of all, it represents beauty and gentleness, and if that isn’t you, Takkun, than I don’t know who.”

With shaky hands, he extends his arms towards Takumi, presenting him with the bouquet of several white magnolia flowers, the insides bearing a pink similar to that of the younger’s hair color. 

“Y-you think I’m b-beautiful?” Takumi stumbles over his words, eyes wide as a hand reaches out slowly as well to grasp the bouquet in his tiny palm. He could only stare down at the bouquet, feeling the back of his eyes starting to sting.

“Of course,” Ren says softly, taking one more step closer. He chuckled at the other’s reaction, expecting his favorite color to spread across the other’s face just as it was now.

What he wasn’t expecting was for Takumi to also pull out a neat bouquet of flowers.

He shoved them, almost roughly, into the other’s chest. Ren gasped, giggling at the sudden action. His heart grew and he couldn’t breathe from the lack of space. 

“T-these are for you too,” Takumi began, finally lifting his eyes to his date. It was funny to him still, when Ren asked him out. He was up the whole night, eyes darting around at nothingness in the dark as his mind poked at every single past action between them, then imagining the future together as well.

“It’s a lotus flower, for your name. You’re powerful, and bigger than life, really. It symbolizes attaining enlightenment, and I hope that you can get it Ren-kun,” Takumi explains softly, eyes conveying more meaning than the words.

Ren couldn’t help but to grin at the adorable explanation. 

“I love them,” He whispers, gently taking Takumi’s free hand in his. It’s warm, probably from how much Takumi was agonizing over earlier in the day but Ren doesn’t mind. In fact, he holds it tighter, never wanting to let go of the small hand that fit like a puzzle against his. Takumi blinks slowly, eyes searching as half of his face quirked up in his signature grin, the rest following shortly after. 

The two got into the Jeep that Ren drove to the flower shop, Ren leading the other blind. Of course, Takumi could see where he was going but the grey-haired one wouldn’t tell the other what date he had planned for the both of them. 

“But this isn’t fair, what if you’re kidnapping me?” Takumi grumbled. He played with his fingers that laid across his lap, anxious.

Ren belted out a loud laugh. “First of all, you live with me Strawberry, how can I kidnap you? And second of all, you can do the same to me on our next date.” He said cheekily, reaching over to grab the younger’s hand, rubbing light circles with his thumb as he reassured him that everything would be okay.

That shut Takumi right up. _Second date?_ Did Ren really think they would go on another date, even before this one actually started? Those words were wracking Takumi’s brain, all the way until the couple reached their destination. Ren parked the car in a lot scarce. He smirked at the younger before hopping out, leaving the bouquet in the car and walking over to the side of the car just as Takumi was opening the door himself.

Ren pouted, wanting to do the honors but he helped the younger boy nonetheless, opening the door all the way and taking his hand to get out of the car. And he didn’t let go.

“Where are we?”

Ren led the other as they walked beneath shades of reds and oranges, soon the colors swirling around them as the wind picked up, bringing the fallen autumn leaves up as well. He only shushed Takumi, insisting he would love it before leading him around the corner, out onto the sidewalk of the main street. Old builds rose tall around them, made of old eroding marble that was somehow gorgeous to both. Ren’s smile picks up even more, contrary to the still confused stare by the younger.

“Ren-kun, Renren, please can you te-” Takumi whined before they came to a sudden stop, the younger stumbling into the older. His gaze matched where Ren’s was locked onto. It was wide and tall, a beige stone building that brought warmth to Takumi’s heart instantly. It was inviting, tall pillars siding the entrance. Ren gazed at Takumi in awe as the other did the same to the building, tugging his hand lightly to lead them both inside. 

“I thought a first date at an art museum would be kind of cute,” Ren smiled shyly, already loving the expressions that graced Takumi’s face so far. He bit his lip as Takumi looked around at the spacious entrance where paintings in gold frames already lined the walls. 

“This is amazing, Ren-kun,” Takumi breathed out, overwhelmed by all the _color_. It was a modern art museum, full of abstracts as well as realism, thinking it’s the perfect blend of Takumi’s interests. Ren gave his hand a squeeze after they bought tickets, wondering which hallway they should enter first. 

Glancing back over at the pink-haired boy, Ren knew which one to choose. Like a moth drawn to a flame, Takumi’s eyes kept drifting towards the abstract hallway, only seeing the bright colors that meshed together. He wondered what shapes they created, not being able to see well from the distance and angle he was currently at. Their fingers have been interlaced for quite a long time, though it felt only natural for the two —even though they rarely, if not at all held hands before — to be holding hands, neither of them noticing a difference. 

The grey-haired dancer led the male down the wide hallway, slowly walking in front of each painting. It amazed the boys how large the paintings were, and how much time and effort each painter had put into these masterpieces. As they walked along, they giggled to each other, pointing out resemblances inside the paintings — of family members, housemates and each other — and wondering on how the artists painted it. Takumi loved to look at the painting itself, while Ren always skimmed the plaque just under or next to the painting, describing the artist and the work. 

You could call it inspiration, but Takumi was overjoyed with the visuals. He felt so alive, the smile never leaving his face as he would lean into Ren’s shoulder or bump hips. It was soft. 

Maybe the other art enthusiasts were annoyed with the young couple, but some gazed on with fondness as they fooled around with each other, trying their best to re-enact whatever pose a person was doing in the painting, or physically moving their bodies to express the vibe of the painting (Ren dropped low, ankles almost breaking as his feet went to the sides, arms hanging down uncomfortable as he copied the feeling of a dark blue and black painting behind him).

Ren sneaked pictures of Takumi when he wasn’t looking, capturing the excited gazes and interest which clouded his features. There was one incident where the younger caught him red handed.

“H-hey! Why are you taking pictures,” Takumi crossed his arms, and Ren couldn’t even get mad at the cute pout. 

“Am I not allowed to appreciate masterpieces so much that I take pictures of them?” Ren asked, feigning innocence as he dramatically squinted his eyes at the sign clearly saying _Do Not Take Pictures._ Takumi rolled his eyes playfully, slapping the other to distract him from the growing blush on his cheeks. 

Even with the playfulness always happening between the two, Takumi took his time to appreciate the talent of each artist as he turned away from the older. 

Takumi was perfectly fine staring at the pieces for hours, remembering the way his grandmother used to stroke her paintbrushes on her canvas. He wonders if she’s ever attended an art museum, and thought that she would fall in love with this one just as he did.

Ren was perfectly fine with staring at the younger, watching his every move. His heart filled with joy when he heard the little gasps and felt the tiny tug on his sleeve as Takumi noticed another, seemingly more impressive painting with mixtures of colors that somehow hasn’t crossed Ren’s vision up until now. Ren would take Takumi on museum dates a million times over if he gets to be with him like this, and see him so happy and alive. Time stands still for Ren as Takumi grins, head turning to connect their eyes. 

Dark brown eyes now had speckles of gold in them, and all Ren wanted to do was to memorize the map of Takumi’s freckles, to trace them with butterfly kisses as it elicited the younger’s giggle. And maybe he does, brushing the pink hair to the side as he presses a light kiss to Takumi’s temple where his favorite freckle sat. 

All Takumi can do is smile widely, smile as his hands tremble, gripping Ren’s shirt to keep himself upright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part 1, part 2 will come later tonight or tomorrow!


	19. Episode 19. "The First Date Pt. 2"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monsta X - Someone's Someone

Takumi’s melting.

He’s fucking melting and he doesn’t know how to stop it. The little peck that Ren gave him has been on his mind for the rest of the museum trip and he can’t catch his breath for one _goddamn second_. He needs something cold, something to get the pink-haired boy back to his natural state before Ren finds his almost-boyfriend in a puddle on the floor. Honestly, how would he react if Ren _actually_ kissed him, he doesn’t know. He sure as hell wants to find out, but that’s just another nightmare all on it’s own. 

Instead, his eyes shy away from Ren after the kiss, still clinging onto his shirt like a baby.

Ren doesn’t know where that courage came from, but he’s glad he did it. Otherwise, it might be another month before one or the other makes a move again. 

They’re wandering around aimlessly again, passing the same painting for the third time but neither cared. With Ren’s arm now wrapped snugly around the younger’s waist, everything seemed to fade away. 

They stopped in front of realistic paintings (Ren’s favorite) and statues, admiring the detailed brushstrokes and craftsmanship of each. Takumi was sometimes childish, going to put his nose up one of the nostrils of a statue when Ren quickly grabbed his hand, pulling it down and away as he looked around in embarrassment to see if anyone saw. Little did he know Takumi just wanted to hold his hand again. 

They always end up back in the abstracts, though. They always stopped in front of that one painting, red and black dominating the painting but everytime Takumi looked back, another color would always pop up somewhere new. It was almost like a game; he looks away for a split second and when his gaze returns, he finds something new about the painting. He thinks he would look at it for eternity and always find something else he’s never noticed before. 

Ren smiled fondly, always opening his ears for when Takumi spotted another splotch of color enthusiastically.

They’ve been there for two, three, four hours; who knows how long. It was a large place, not to mention when the boys got lost in the gift shop, split apart from each other for a devastatingly long twenty minutes. 

They walk out of the museum as the sun starts to hint at its departure, capturing the essences of the golden leaves around them. Ren holds a keychain in his hand, while Takumi got a thin bag with the print of his now favorite painting on the front. The couple walks hand in hand back to the car, where Ren can finally open the door for the younger, being the polite gentleman he is.

Takumi thanked him dramatically, hopping into the car and watching Ren practically run around the hood of the car to not leave the other alone. 

“Thank you for the gift,” the pink-haired boy mumbled, finger clutching the bag in his hands which Ren insisted on paying, “I had a really fun time today. Probably the most fun I’ve had I've had in a long time.”

With his hand on the gearshift, he looked over at the younger man, heartbeat pausing momentarily. 

“I had fun too, Strawberry,” Ren blinded the younger with his smile, itching to press a kiss onto another freckle. But he doesn’t. Ren puts the car in drive instead, leaving the parking lot and onto the next destination.

Takumi thinks they're going home as they lighty chat in the car, but stops short when he realizes they passed the street that would lead them towards the direction of the house.

“Are you sure you're not kidnapping me?” He tried to joke weakly, fingers gripping harder ever so slightly. Ren notices (he notices everything Takumi does) and reaches out to warm the other’s hand. 

“I promise I’m not. Don’t you trust me?” Slightly offended, Ren tugged at the other’s hand, lifting it and drooping it back into the other’s lap playfully, just to sneak a peek at the other’s soft smile.

“It’s dinnertime Takkun. On second thought, I guess you could say I’m kidnapping you for dinner . . .” the older trails off, lost in thought at the confusing logistics of the situation. Takumi snorts, self-conscious now from his light accusation. 

He tries to ease up, but he’s excited to see where Ren would take him to eat. Different possibilities wrack his brain, and he’s internally judging each one of them, wondering which suited Ren the best. Maybe he’s a little surprised when the older man pulled into the parking lot of a small blue building, complete with red and white trim. 

Takumi laughs at the realization of coming to the Americanized restaurant once they enter the building, old-style black and white tile flooring and American posters from the 50s covering every inch of the place. It wasn’t busy, and that was just fine by the pink-haired one. 

Takumi forgot that Ren knew about his eating habits. It came up in conversation one night — as always their most interesting and intimate conversations do — when they got onto the topic of food. Takumi confessed his favorite food was not the sweet fruit (though he could still be found munching on some strawberries whether he be reading on the rooftop or watching the sun set in the backyard), but instead it was the juicy hamburger hailing from America. It seemed that he and Sho had something in common after all; their love for America (even if it’s in different ways. Takumi was always bad at learning English, but he couldn’t resist their calorie-packed food).

He smiled at the memory, body trembling at the thought of Ren remembering something like that from so long ago.

The two boys sat in a booth in the corner of the eatery, allowed to seat themselves instead of by the host. Takumi traced his fingers on the table’s geometric designs that weaved in and out of one another, making the younger’s head swirl.

“Hello, my name is Aoki and I’ll be your waiter for the evening,” a young boy stopped in front of them shortly after they sat down, smiling kindly. He seems familiar to Ren, but he couldn’t quite place his finger on it. “Is there anything I can get you both to drink, or shall we start with the menu?”

Ren took a Coke while Takumi ordered plain water, the pink-haired male still stressing over the vast amount of types of burgers he was choosing between; Ren already knew what he wanted: a simple cheeseburger with seasoned french fries. He was afraid of trying to look further; he could end up like the one in front of him, eyes moving rapidly and foaming at the mouth.

Aoki soon comes back, with two cold glasses in his hands as he asks if the other boys are ready yet.

Ren places his order, looking at Takumi to see if he is ready.

“I, uh . . . can I get the uh . . . the ‘Clint Eastwood Burger’ please,” Takumi asked shyly, tiptoeing around his pronunciation of the American name. It was a single patty, topped with peppers, sautéed onions, cheddar cheese, lettuce and bacon. Just the description made the younger’s mouth water at the thought, already bursting at the seams waiting for his burger. Takumi couldn’t believe he didn’t know that this place even existed.

Ren giggled behind his hand at the other’s jumpy nature, finding him absolutely adorable when in his element. He couldn’t help but stare. It was _so easy_ when Takumi’s doing that, being bubbly and biting his bottom lip. 

Takumi’s eyes fell back onto Ren, just to find out that there was an intense stare directed towards him. His face flushed, hands coming up to hide his embarrassment. 

“No, I want to see your pretty face,” Ren whined, head dropping onto his hands that were folded on the table. The pout made Takumi give in in an instant, granting the wish of the older as he too laid his head down on his hands. As they waited for their food, they made silly faces at each other, bursting into laughter every few minutes. Maybe the employers were getting annoyed, who knows, but the young couple didn’t care. They were too lost in their own little world.

Aoki came back quickly with the boy’s food, placing it onto the table and wishing them a happy meal before once again leaving them to their own devices.

The two ate in silence at first, savoring the burgers before asking how their burger tasted. Hums of deliciousness and agreement went around, making Takumi giggle; at what, he wasn’t sure. Maybe he was just really happy.

Takumi didn’t want the night to end, not with how the boys were enjoying each other’s company so much, forgetting that they were in a public place for a few moments. Ren really wanted to wipe the tiny mark of ketchup that made its way onto the younger’s cheek, but knew better. Rather, he wiggled his own finger at his face where the spot was on Takumi, pointing back and forth before the younger finally got the message after looking at the older with wide, skeptical eyes. He snorted, quickly wiping his face, but the red coloring remained a permanent fixture on the younger. 

“Thank you for taking me here, Ren-kun. I really don’t know how to thank you enough,” Ren was sweet, Takumi decided. He was sweet like candy and Takumi was absolutely addicted. 

The older man just shook his head, saying how happy he was to be with the younger.

With stomachs full of food and eyes full of love, the boys thanked the employees before once again stepping outside and into the car, now on their way back to the house. 

Ren has his eyes on the road while he draws circles absentmindedly on the back of the younger’s hand. The side glances he would shoot Takumi every now and then would make him almost swerve, the younger’s beauty shining in the fading light of the sun. Then it hit him that it was now or never. Because he didn’t want to lose this opportunity, didn’t want to lose _Takumi_.

“Takumi?”

The pink-haired florist hummed in acknowledgement. 

“Would you like to be my boyfriend?”

If Takumi was driving, the boys would surely have ended up in a devastating car crash by now. He made a noise of surprise, the only answer he was able to give now that his vocal chords shrunk in on itself due to the pure shock. Takumi wanted to hear those words, don’t get him wrong. But being caught off guard like that, Takumi didn’t want to have it any other way. He couldn’t lift his gaze at the driver, and his hands were getting sweaty. 

He hoped that Ren didn’t find the sweat in his palm disgusting. In case he did, Takumi loosened his grip. 

You could hear the drop of Ren’s heart; it was earth shattering as the younger pulled away from his grasp. Eyes drooping, he told himself he wouldn’t look over again for the remainder of the ride, willing tears to stay at bay until he got to his own room. It was times like this when Ren was grateful his room wasn’t near the pink-haired boys.

The atmosphere in the car tensed, and Takumi instantly felt regret after realizing his action. But what could he do? It was too embarrassing to take the hand of the other person again, and try to explain that he let go because he was sweaty? So far off the charts of being lame it wasn’t even funny. But the car got uneasier by the second, and now it was Takumi’s turn to muster up some courage. 

He whined at the lack of contact, slowly lacing their fingers together. Ren didn’t react, the only indication that he realized was the small gasp he made, much too quiet for either of them to hear due to the blood pounding against their eardrums. Heartbeats became erratically in sync with each other. Takumi brought his other hand towards the laced fingers, grabbing onto Ren with both so tight he was afraid that the older would pull away.

They’re just down the long and winding street from their house, and Ren can’t take it. He feels the hands holding him, but his mind is all muddled from the negative reaction from earlier that he can only focus on driving. 

Ren sees the house in the distance, edging closer by the second. Blood still pounds against his ear and Takumi’s still holding his hand in both of his tiny ones, head bent.

They’re at the small semi-circle now, Ren slowly driving up the entrance of the house and putting it in park. He exhaled hard, eyes stinging. He still doesn’t notice the hands that grip him until he feels a tug on his arm, turning his head to the wide-eyed Takumi. He was staring at him, wondering when the older man would take the hint.

“Yes.”

Maybe the answer didn’t register right away, but it certainly did after Takumi crossed the middle console of the car, entering Ren’s personal space quickly. They’re noses apart, lightly brushing each other’s in an unintentional eskimo’s kiss. Takumi’s staring deeply in the dancer’s eyes now, wanting _so badly_ to kiss him, and he just about does when the older’s free hand comes to cup his jawline, finger tracing the outer shell of his ear. Except he can’t, not when he hears the yelling of Kono Junki as he comes barreling out of the house upon seeing the Jeep, not even noticing what was going on inside the front seat.

Thank god the two flew away from each other before the other boys came out following Junki into the early night.

“God, why are you so loud _all the damn time _,” Ren complains as he gets out of the car, thanking anyone and anything that it’s gotten dark enough out where it’s hard to make out the furious blush across his face. Junki snorts before seeing the bouquets that the boys held in their hands from the hours earlier when they first met up.__

__Syoya’s eyebrows shoot up high underneath his bangs, a devilish grin spreading widely across his face. It didn’t help that his teeth shone brighter in the night as the rest of his face was dark from the lack of light._ _

__“Was this a date in the making, I see?” The youngest teased, fingers twirling around, pointing accusingly at the couple. Ren wants to shove the student’s face in at the embarassing comment._ _

__Instead, he grabs Takumi’s hand as they parade past the other housemates whooping and hollering at them, realizing the pair of boys became a cute couple. It made Takumi’s head pound, the attention and loud noises still being sensitive to him from the impactful car ride. Ren and him place their bouquets in vases, placing them next to each other on the kitchen island before Ren drags the boy upstairs to the playroom._ _

__Ren gets comfy on the cushions, tugging the younger man into his arms. Takumi giggled, trying to leave as he’s humiliated from earlier but the older won’t let him go. The grey-haired dancer keeps his steady in his strong grip, nose nuzzling into the younger’s pink hair._ _

__“I-I’m sorry about earlier, Ren-kun,” Takumi starts shyly after silence has elapsed for a few minutes._ _

__“What are you sorry about?”_ _

__“When I pulled away. In the car. You caught me off guard and it was getting too stuffy being in that car and I was sweating and-” Takumi’s voice was getting faster now, pulling out excuses in hopes that Ren will forgive him for the painful mistake. He doesn’t expect the laugh that comes out of the older’s mouth, quite confused honestly._ _

__The older threads his fingers through the pink hair, now fading slightly from weeks of showering._ _

__“I don’t hate you Takkun. As long as you say yes, I’ll be happy,” the other stated, voice almost a whisper. Takumi pulls a blanket over them, snuggling into his now _boyfriend_._ _

__Later that night, after the boys watched half a season of a new drama and tried to hit the other housemates as they interrupted their night, Ren made a sound of agitation._ _

__Takumi yawned, rolling over in Ren’s arms, forgetting about the drama still playing in the background. His ears perked up at the distraught sound, wondering what could make the older so sad and how he could fix it. _Was it him?_ the younger thought. His eyes trailed the face of the older, whose eyes were watching his every movement._ _

__“What’s wrong?”_ _

__“I’m not sure how to say this, but . . . now that we’re boyfriends,” the word left a fuzzy feeling in Ren’s mouth, and he wanted to shout it from the rooftops. “I think we should move out.”_ _

__Takumi wasn’t expecting those words to come from Ren’s mouth; far from it._ _

__“M-move out? Why, what happened?” Takumi was scared now, leaning back so he could get a good look at Ren. Even if he was lit by only the moonlight, Takumi could still make out the older’s facial expressions perfectly._ _

__“I told myself before I moved in, hell before I even knew if I was accepted, that I would leave once I got a boyfriend. I would leave with him. Or I would leave if I exceeded three months without a boyfriend,” Ren mumbled, overjoyed that he would be able to call Takumi his, but saddened by the thought of leaving the house. It was inevitable, though, that all good stories would come to an end._ _

__Takumi never thought about leaving before. Even before coming to the house, it wasn’t in his mind at all. He said that he would face it when it came up, and boy did it sure sneak up on the florist._ _

__He stared into the older’s eyes, still silent. Memories flashed before his eyes of the two of them; staying up late and covering their mouths to not wake up the others with their laughter; Ren lightly teasing the younger’s handwriting when he came home from work though the dancer secretly loved the messy writing, thinking the hearts and flowers were a cute touch; Takumi and Ren sitting on opposite ends of the couch, doing their own thing but just enjoying the company of another person. It was grossly domestic, Takumi had to agree, but he wouldn’t want it any other way._ _

__“Then I’m going to miss this place,” even though Takumi’s smile was small, to Ren it radiated as bright as the sun._ _

__“R-really?” The older questioned, not believing that Takumi would agree to leave this early._ _

__Takumi hummed, “as long as I have you.”_ _

__Ren could have hugged Takumi to death, arms pulling him in a strong embrace as his nose dipped to drop itself on the younger’s head. He breathed in the familiar scent of lemon and vanilla (contrary to popular belief that Takumi was a strawberry inside and out)._ _

__Ren couldn’t go asleep, too excited for what the day brought him. He hums a tune in Takumi’s ear, foot lightly tapping the ground that makes him rock the younger in response._ _

__“What’s that?” Takumi asks, referring to the tune._ _

__“A new song we’re learning at the company,” Ren replies, lyrics and dance moves flowing across his mind in waves. Suddenly an idea pops into his head and he squeezes the younger one just a little bit tighter._ _

__“Didn’t you say you used to dance when you were younger?” Ren asks softly. Takumi hums, clearly wiped out and only half-listening to Ren as he tries to stay awake when the older is talking to him. Ren chuckles lightly, wanting to get out the sentence before the younger one goes unconscious. It certainly doesn't help the younger stay awake with ones of Ren's hands in his hair, the other drawing random shapes lightly on his back._ _

__“Let me take you to the studio, show you around. I’ll teach you something, yeah?” Ren tucks a strand of hair behind the younger’s ear and it’s enough to make the younger fully fall asleep on his chest, face softening completely. Ren chuckles lightly, his grip a little tighter on the younger as he stays still otherwise. He soon falls asleep too, the two staying in that same position all night._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just when i'm giving you renkumi i'm taking them away i'm sorry :(( i really want to bring the others member in though 
> 
> i have surprises for them later on, like one-shots to add those this series that i made, and maybe they'll come back in the actual fic later on who knows. i don't.


	20. Episode 20. "Moving Out and Moving In"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewish Capaldi - Before You Go

It was deja vu all over again for the other roommate. Sho caught them stumbling out of the playroom early in the morning, cheeks a bright cherry red and eyes glossed over from still trying to wake up. Even though this time he didn’t peak in the room like a few weeks ago, just being in the act of ‘catching’ them coming out of the room felt the exact same. With sly eyebrows raised, Sho continued to walk past the newly formed couple as if it didn’t just happen, saving them from embarrassment. 

Even though nothing happened in the room, it was still such an intimate action of sleeping next to each other, something only loving couples do. And they’ve just become one.

Jealousy stung Sho’s heart as he brushed past them, entering the bathroom after exchanging a quick good morning. It’s not like he hasn’t slept in the same bed with Keigo before, in fact it happened only a few nights ago. Since then, Sho’s eyes have been trained on the teddy bear that the younger had gotten him for his birthday, always easily eliciting a light laugh from the older at the childish toy. But he loved it nonetheless. 

Sleeping next to Keigo was different though. 

Sho couldn’t help but notice how Keigo’s body fit against his; lanky body and long arms securing themselves around the older in a tight hold. It was different, something new the older hasn’t ever experienced before and he can’t say that he doesn’t hate it. 

He reminisces on old memories, comparing them to his new ones as he brushes his teeth as his gaze locks on himself in the mirror. 

It’s not until when Sho’s finished, skipping some steps on the stairs lightly and entering the kitchen when he feels a different atmosphere in the air. Stepping back onto the stairs, shying away from eyesight, he eavesdrops on the couple in the kitchen. It’s a tense conversation, but loving all at the same time.

“Takkun, I have to go,” Ren laughs lightly, whispering in the other’s ear, “baby please.”

Takumi shys away from the pet name, bumping his head into the other’s chest while his arms wrapped tightly around all of Ren, locking his arms down. Ren’s up early to head to Tokyo for dance practice, and if he doesn’t make Takumi let go of him within the next ten minutes he's going to be late. 

“I don’t want you to go, it’s not fair,” Takumi whines, voice muffled by his shirt and Ren has to pause for a moment to try and decipher his words.

“What’s not fair?”

Takumi lifts his head, a pout sending knives straight through Ren’s heart. “You can’t leave me for this long after last night.”

The dancer mutters his boyfriend’s nickname over and over again in the florist’s ear, gently pulling away from the younger’s embrace to wrap his own arms around Takumi’s neck, just holding him. Ren drops his head down on the other’s and holds him, afraid of what would happen when he let’s go.

“I’ll never leave you Strawberry.”

Ren has to leave in seven minutes. The coffee maker beeps.

It draws Takumi away from Ren, tiny red splotches sprinkling over his face and Ren’s heart aches. 

“I’m never going to leave you. I told you to come visit me, yeah? Don’t you remember,” the older ruffles Takumi’s hair, brushing it back so he could see all of his face, pretty forehead freckles and all. The younger shakes his head and Ren laughs. Looks like the younger one had fallen asleep after all. He mentions it again, hands now trailing down to cup Takumi’s face as he brushes away the stray tears. 

Ren has five minutes.

“Don’t be sad, love. We’ll see each other a lot,” Ren smiles, walking over to finally get a mug of coffee. Takumi latches onto his hand, arms outstretched as he slightly pulls the older away from the coffee machine in a desperate attempt to get him to stay with the younger one all day. Takumi doesn’t have to go into the flower shop today. It doesn’t work, Ren being strong and pulling the younger along with him to the kitchen counter.

Takumi watches in sad silence as Ren pulls a portable coffee mug from the cabinet, making his morning drink just how he likes it. Takumi memorizes each step, hoping that one day he could do the same for Ren.

They say goodbye quickly so that Ren could catch his train, chaste kiss pressed to Takumi’s temple on his favorite freckle, hurrying out the door in haste with an apology flying over his shoulder. Just like that, Takumi is left standing alone in the middle of the small kitchen, gazing longingly at the door his boyfriend just left through. 

Maybe Sho doesn’t have a clue what’s going on right now, but he knows that the younger’s heart is breaking from watching his boyfriend leave for the first time. He waits a few more moments before coming around the corner, acting casual with Takumi before pretending to notice the sad expression on his face when he knew all along it was there due to the voice cracks. 

“Takumi? What’s wrong?”

The younger’s eyes widened, quickly turning around as he rubbed at his eyes. “N-n-nothing, Sho-kun.”

Rather than crying, Takumi pretended to bustle about the kitchen, grabbing a bowl and pouring some cereal in it even though he knew he lost his appetite. Sho knew something was up though; there was no fooling him. The hushed words exchanged in the kitchen between the couple hit differently, making Sho’s stomach do somersaults all over again.

Sho sighed, leaning on the island counter. 

“I trust you, but if there is something bothering you, you can always come to me, yeah?” The eldest patted the younger’s shoulder before he himself went to start making his breakfast. 

Silence enveloped the two, seemingly peaceful for the older man but for the pink-haired male he could barely stand up. Even sitting down at the dining table his mind was all over the place and he felt like he could faint at any second. Emotions wracked his body, from being too blindly happy to express his feelings for Ren, to wanting to kick and scream at the distance Ren was putting between the two by moving out. They wouldn’t be together like they used to; able to see each other every day due to living conditions. Ren was three hours away, only two by bullet train but that doesn’t make a difference when Ren’s holding Takumi’s heart in his hand and he’s still hours away for days if not weeks at a time. 

Takumi couldn’t follow him. He had his own job to worry about, just starting to work at the cute flower shop owned by the sweetest family that could have ever graced this little planet. 

Takumi’s overwhelmed and he just wants to let it all out, but that’s a decision for him and Ren to tell everyone _together _.__

Takumi’s phone lit up, a message from Ren that only consisted of the strawberry emoji followed by two pink hearts. It made Takumi’s own heart soar, and thought that maybe things were going to be okay. 

* * *

It’s dinnertime and luckily all the roommates are home, enjoying a large take out pizza from a nearby Domino’s. The atmosphere became livelier when Ren got home, the last to arrive through the sliding door. 

Takumi essentially tackled the dancer, almost knocking both boys over as he expressed how much he missed him in front of the other roommates. It’s like they weren’t even there, and Junki put his chin in his hand as he stared at them, proud of how Takumi has grown out of his shell and started to show more affection and emotion with every action. 

“Ren, why, were, you, dancing, for, ten, hours,” Takumi gasped, throwing playful punches at the older after every word. Ren finally caught the small wrists on the florist, gazing fondly. 

“It wasn’t ten, silly. More like six, or maybe seven?” Takumi just stuck his tongue out, telling him that the dancer will have to pay for leaving him alone all day. How much Ren wanted to capture his tongue, well, he wasn’t going to say. 

Holding back, he pressed a long kiss to the younger’s forehead before walking away to drop his dance bag by the stairs, then wandering over to the delicious smelling pizza that he pretended was all for himself. 

“Wow, you guys! You waited for me to get home just to let me have all this, you’re the best!” Ren went to grab the whole back, not getting far however when Junki and Syoya started batting at his hands and throwing insults. It started to hurt when the boys kept slapping, even when Ren retracted his hands and stepped away from the table, a laugh turning into painful screeches. 

Ren was glancing at his boyfriend the whole time they were eating. He could tell what was on the younger’s mind, as it had been on Ren’s all day. He wasn’t thinking straight when dancing, messing up choreography now and then, getting more and more frustrated as the day went on. It got to the point where one of the choreographers had to pull Ren aside and ask what was going on, saying he wasn’t the same boy that knew how to dance. 

“It’s the house,” Ren says awkwardly. They are in the hallway now, the privacy Ren is grateful for. The first episode wouldn’t be airing for another couple of weeks, the Terrace House team editing over the few weeks and making sure they have enough content to keep going consistently every week. 

The company knew where he lived, it was all part of him signing with them. While it seemed like great exposure for the dancer and they loved that, they weren’t too thrilled about the idea of being so far away. Just the thought of them being upset at Ren made his head spin. 

The grey-haired male pushed the thought to the back of his mind, grasping at tiny fingers underneath the table of the one beside him. Takumi didn’t look over, but he could see the smile spreading as he took a bite of the greasy pizza, hoping that it would be a good cover up. 

With a racing heartbeat, Ren cleared his throat. It didn’t help in any way to ease the strained vocal chords as his nerves were running haywire. 

“I think there’s something you all should know,” Ren started, eyes darting quickly to Takumi but then back at the pizza again, hoping no one would notice but it was so obvious. 

“Yeah, you’re dating Takumi, we already knew that,” Syoya snorted, going in for another slice. 

“No, not that- well, I mean yes that but something else,” Ren’s getting hot now. Sweat is starting to form on the back of his neck and he rubs at it hoping for a distraction to something that he started. He feels the light squeeze on his hand which gives him the courage to spit out the words. 

“I’m moving out of Terrace House.” 

“And so am I.” 

Both boys only receive blank stares. It’s not until Sho let out a strangled noise that everyone else went into attack-mode, crying about how they would miss them and wondering why they would leave so early after a month. 

“Ren, I- Ugh! You make me so mad,” Junki pouted, throwing a temper tantrum in the seat across from the dancer. 

“When are you leaving,” Sho asks gently, eyes softening at the two boys. Since this morning, he’s been wracking his brain to figure out what the boys were talking about and now all the pieces came together. He just didn’t know _why_ they were wanting to leave, thinking that they’ve just gotten so close and so happy together, and now they have to go their separate ways again. It didn’t make any sense. 

“We were thinking in two days.” 

“Two days?” Junki practically screeched, bursting the eardrums of everyone else in the room, “Why are you leaving so early, why don’t you stay for halloween? It’s literally the day after!” 

“My company is already begging me to move to Tokyo anyways, to move into the dorms with my practice mates now.” Ren remembers the conversation from earlier today with the choreographer and his recruiter who just so happened to pass by in the hallway at the _conveniently_ right time. 

Takumi flinches. It doesn’t go unnoticed by the older, and he fully turns to face his boyfriend. 

“Takkun, we’ll get through this. We had to leave at some point anyway, we knew this when he applied,” Ren grabbed both of the boy’s hands in his slightly-too-greasy ones but he doesn’t care. 

The younger takes a shaky breath, giving a small smile with his signature nose scrunch, telling the older not to worry. 

“I found a small apartment nearby; they’re kind of desperate for a renter and I’m making enough money to be able to live there. So please, don’t worry about us,” Takumi faces the other boys as their own faces droop in sadness. 

Sho looks on with sorrow, knowing exactly how the boys were feeling about this inevitable long distance relationship. He wished to give some advice, and would over the next two days about his own relationship. Advice from what the two boys did, as well as what they should have done to keep their love going. Sho wishes that he and his ex-boyfriend could have made it. It’s heartbreaking that they didn’t. 

But if anyone can, it’s Ren and Takumi. 

* * *

It’s Halloween now, and the four remaining boys are all partying sadly in the wake of the exit of their other, now ex-roommates. 

Syoya was the first to hug them, pulling Ren into a bear hug and doing the same for Takumi afterwards. He didn’t talk much to them, but he still wanted to show him how much they meant to Syoya and how much they showed little signs of support that maybe didn’t mean much to the couple but it meant the world to the student. 

Keigo stepped in next, body bending over to hug both as well. He made them promise to give them updates in their group chat with the first six roommates, and the boys gave identical giggles as Keigo ruffled their hair. 

Junki barreled into Ren once the blonde was out of the way, Ren’s back almost slamming into the wall behind him as he wasn’t ready for the sheer force the younger possessed. Takumi chuckled, reaching out a hand to stabilize the two and then watched from a distance, loving how his boyfriend has become close to his best friend in the house. When Junki turned to Takumi, he couldn’t help the tears that wouldn’t stop flowing from his eyes, burying his face in the smaller’s neck. Ren should be jealous of the way Junki was interacting with his boyfriend, but he instead softened at the sight of their friendship and went to rub Junki’s back. Junki wouldn’t let go, and had to be pulled back by Sho, who was the last to say his goodbyes. 

Sho gave a warm handshake to Ren, pulling him into a hug with a pat on the back. Next, he hugged Takumi tightly in his embrace, having only affection for the shy, pink-haired boy. He let out a breathy laugh, sighing as if he just couldn’t believe the sight before him; of those two really moving out of the house. All the boys would miss them dearly. 

Sho whined as they stalked off towards the door, grabbing their keys slowly and just staring at them before they had to give them back. It was bittersweet to see the couple go, and maybe the three housemates had to physically restrain Junki from running after them but they would get used to not having the smaller boys around. 

Sho sat wearily underneath the witch hat, coming back to the present. Instead of being sad, he clapped his hands in an attempt to lighten the spirit. 

“They wouldn’t want us to be sad, right? Hell, they sent us ‘Happy Halloween’ texts earlier today and you all are acting like they died!” The eldest sighed, playing with the decorations from his birthday a week ago. It was almost like it was his birthday again, and Sho didn’t want to ever be sad on his birthday. 

“My soul died.” 

“That’s the spirit!” Sho patted Junki on the back, joking at the meaning of the sentence that compliments the holiday. Junki moved his tired gaze to meet Sho’s, sticking his tongue out to mock him. It made Sho smile a little, glad to see that he still could be somewhat playful in this saddened state. 

Maybe it took a few minutes — or maybe a half an hour — before the whole group got into the party mode, and maybe they weren’t one hundred percent there but it was enough for Sho to have a genuine smile on his face. 

The roommates put the couple on video call eventually, Junki drunk on wine insisting, only to be encouraged by an equally drunk (on beer) Keigo. As the night went on, they got more and more comfortable, Keigo becoming just as clingy as Sho got from the help of the alcohol in his system. The couple on the phone snorted as the blonde, wrapped his hands around Sho, flinging his vampire cape to the side as he dramatically sniffs the older’s neck, into his character. It was nice to hear the other’s laughter again, and everything seemed like it was normal until they eventually had to hang up even though it wasn’t late into the evening. 

What surprised the roommates the most was hearing the doorbell ring, a sound Sho hasn’t heard in over a month. 

Ears perk at the sound, curious glances at each other almost sobering the two drunks. Sho stood up slowly from his chair, clearing his throat before walking unevenly to the intercom. He forgot that the thing even existed. 

“H-hello?” 

“Hello, I am moving in tonight.” A deep voice rang clear, and it made Sho only a little bit nervous. 

In a quick minute, the door out to the mud room was sliding open, revealing a slightly tall male, clad in all black. It suited the darkness of the holiday, and Sho wondered if that was on purpose because of his move-in day or if it was just what he always wore. 

The new roommate bowed deeply, rolling his suitcase in at a slow pace. 

“Hello. My name’s Kinjo Sukai and I am a current university student. Pleased to meet you,” he said politely, bowing once again as he connected eyes with his fellow new roommates. 

Everyone tried to shake their shock at a new roommate arriving at the slightly peculiar time and date, but they warmed up quickly to make the other one feel at home. They got into the groove of the party again — some faking it until they made it — and with the liquid encouragement as Keigo downed some more, he’s all over Sho now. It’s probably quite embarrassing to the newcomer, but he’s seen worse. 

Maybe ten, fifteen minutes pass before the doorbell rings again and Sho laughs out loud at the memory of the first day. He pries the clingy Keigo from his arm, going to once again be the welcomer for everyone. A fleeting thought crossed his mind as he wondered who would do that for the rest of the housemates once he was gone, cause clearly they can’t take care of themselves. 

“Hi, I’m a new roommate, I’m moving in tonight,” the voice was concealed with static, making it quite hard for Sho to make out the words but he only assumed because what else would the person be saying? He hummed into the intercom, telling the new tenant to come in. 

“Finally, it’s been eternity!” Keigo giggled, unfazed by the stares of the others at how ridiculous he’s acting. Junki may be drunk as well, but he’s slightly more sober now and is in love with the way Keigo’s acting, snapping pictures and little clips of his drunken state for blackmail later on. 

Sho liked the attention, almost thriving in it as he just let’s Keigo do what he wanted with a laugh. It’s definitely inappropriate when they have a new roommate who doesn’t know the dynamics yet, but Sho rationalizes that he might as well get used to it now, now that they’ll be living together. 

Keigo’s about to pounce on Sho’s neck, wanting to make him scream when the door slides open, revealing a light-brown haired male, tall and skinny. From the noise Sho should have looked over to welcome the newcomer, but didn’t. It’s a cursed mistake. 

“Sho?" 

His eyes snap open from where they’re rolling in the back of his head as Keigo’s hot breath ghosted his neck, breaking as it twisted towards that much too familiar voice. 

“Ruki?” He couldn’t believe his eyes as they landed on his ex-boyfriend. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and i- *rest*
> 
> i am so sorry for ripping the rug out from under you all with that cute renkumi date and then making the move out and then now with ruki moving in (okay but i wonder if y'all could tell from the modeling chapter i tried not to make it obvious) but i swear i have great plans for them. the update for this story won't come for a couple of days i think, i have some side fics that i want to work on and i'll add them to this series when i'm done!


	21. Episode 21. "So Much Tension"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> alextbh - still mine  
> 5sos - ghost of you (slowed)  
> justin beiber - confident (slowed)
> 
> ~ kinda sexual near the end if you don't like that or are uncomfortable it ends when a divider comes

Ruki’s choking on nothing as he’s trying to suck air into his lungs but it’s just not working. 

There, standing before him is his ex from 6 years ago. The man that he cared so deeply for, for helping him transition into the new island life after moving away from the city, and he’s now with another man practically strandling the older as his mouth’s hovering so close to his neck. Ruki feels like he’s suffocating, eyes darting between the two and piecing together thoughts that he doesn’t ever want to imagine again. He stands still, no one moving from the words he’s breathed only moments before. 

Ruki could tell the blonde was drunk. Maybe it’s selfish of Ruki, selfish and so wrong of him to want the other to just be a clingy drunk and that they’re not an actual couple. But he can’t wish that, not when Sho was the one to shatter Ruki’s heart to pieces. 

Ruki’s eyes flicker to the older’s neck, a hot body still pressed against him. The eldest is quick to shove Keigo off, suddenly embarrassed and conservative at seeing his ex-boyfriend (who he’s now going to be living with, _god_ ). Keigo whines at the lack on contact, slumping in his chair as he throws little death glares at the new comer for ruining his fun in his _very_ drunken state. It would have been a hilarious sight to see if not for the thick tension in the room. 

What breaks everyone out of their trance is Syoya’s low whistle, clearly sober and yet still having his brain slower than Keigo’s to be able to try and lighten the situation in the most inappropriate way.

Sho stands up, hands trying to find a spot somewhere, anywhere in space that wouldn’t be awkward. Fingers wiggle as they move from through hair, then into the air in front of him, and then behind his back. He settles on crossing them over his chest in an attempt to hide the trembling. It must be a miracle that the younger was here now, since Sho hasn’t been able to get Ruki out of his mind for who knows how long. 

“R-Ruki-kun,” Sho’s a little more formal, wondering how to act around the younger now after all of these years, “it’s been a while.”

Ruki wants to react but he’s paralyzed. It was like seeing the older in a new light, one that he doesn’t even want to see again. 

Junki, always great at reading the room, jumps into the conversation that the new roommate clearly isn’t going to join. “Ruki-kun, was it? Hello, I’m Kono Junki!” He introduces the others, even the other newest member Sukai in hopes to bring the younger’s attention off of Sho. It works, and Ruki nods along, leaning heavily on his suitcase to compensate for the numbing feeling in his legs. 

Junki’s in charge now, and Sho looking on in sadness as he watches the younger one tell the new tenants which rooms are available. He doesn’t even flinch when Ruki says that he prefers downstairs, not knowing that Sho’s room would be across from his. 

Keigo’s being clingy again. He’s grasping at straws with Sho’s attention now, tears starting to pool in his eyes as his mind is fuzzy from the alcohol. He just doesn’t understand Sho’s actions. Keigo’s never had a bad break up before, so he doesn’t know what it’s like for the ex-couple, and he doesn’t try to understand. He can’t anyways, not with the state of having drank four beers and a shot of sake all within one hour inside of him. 

Sho doesn’t break his gaze from the younger until Keigo reaches out and gently tugs his chin towards him, making the older’s eyes connect with his. Sho’s heart aches at the expression on the younger, and he just wants to give up responsibility and have someone else write his own story for him.

“Sho, are you okay?” Everyone’s out of earshot now, with Syoya offering to help Ruki get settled while Junki takes the other university student upstairs. Sho doesn’t know how to answer, but with Keigo looking into his eyes full of concern he gives a small smile, hating to see the pout on the blonde. 

Sho’s so confused and he hates Ruki for coming. He hates that Ruki knows about the show, hates that he’s signed up, hates that the producers thought Ruki fit best for moving in next, and hates _so much_ that Ruki’s arrived on their doorstep and will be living with him for who knows how long. What he hates the most, though, is that he doesn’t hate Ruki at all. He hates that he’s in this new and weird relationship with Keigo where they’re acting like a couple and they do all the couple things except for getting intimate, and well, officially saying they’re dating, hates that Ruki will see them together, hates that he still may be possibly in love with the younger after all of these years.

Sho hates the uncertainty, hates the position he’s in right now.

Keigo hums, eyelids drooping for a split second before shaking himself back up, arms winding their way comfortably around Sho’s neck. Sho would be completely fine with the skinship, probably relishing in it if it weren’t for the specific brown-haired boy who was just down the hallway that’s taking up his entire mind. 

Sho would rather not think about the past now, so he tries loses himself in Keigo’s gaze, hand reaching up to smooth his bangs down.

“You’re a baby, you know that? Why are you such a clingy drunk,” Sho whispers affectionately, not quite meeting the others eyes. Keigo hates it. He wants the attention, and by that he wants Sho to really look at him, craving eye contact. It always sent heat through his body, and he just wants to feel that one more time with the older.

Keiogo’s breath is drenched in alcohol. The smell is overpowering Sho’s nose and he tries not to make a face. Sho wasn’t the one for alcohol, and usually abstained from drinking more than one or two light drinks in one sitting. He brings the younger boy’s head down to his chest, thankful for not only ridding the smell from in front of his face, but also so that he didn’t have to look the younger into the eye.

“Sho-kun, do you love me?”

It’s so out of the blue and it makes Sho just as dizzy as Keigo. 

Sho didn’t answer right away. Love is a touchy subject for the older, and he hates the way it’s not always identifiable to him. Loving one person is much different than loving another, coming in waves at different times and speeds. Loving Ruki was easy, catching the wave at just the right moment when it’s close to the shore, and yet still so tall. Their relationship came about naturally, Sho taking the younger under his wing when he first arrived in Okinawa, Sho’s hometown. He could remember the first time the younger said something to him, and he instantly fell in love with the city accent. 

Loving Keigo was different, though. It wasn’t an easy wave to catch, but that one that was larger than life and a little tough to handle. It’s majestic in all the right ways and doesn’t let anyone or anything get in its way, to try to tame it. Somehow, Sho’s managed to catch that wave and have it locked down pat. With Keigo being tall and strong, it’s another feeling the oldest never felt before, always being the big spoon and taking care of someone else. It’s different, but Sho thinks it’s nice to be taken care of for once. 

The elder's petting the blonde now, telling himself that actions speak louder than words and Keigo wouldn’t remember this in the morning.

He loves the younger, he does, but it’s a different love. Deep down, Sho knows this but he can’t seem to let go of the affection Keigo gives him. And Sho hates the way that his thoughts run rampant with this new information of Ruki showing up out of the blue, when they should be on the one who is currently in his arms asking for hugs and light kisses. 

And they’re just standing there, hugging, in the open space between all the connected rooms where anyone could see. 

And maybe Ruki’s standing from around the corner, staring at the couple as his heart shatters once again due to the older from Okinawa. 

But it’s Halloween, and Syoya is always oblivious, so he’s loud when he walks out from behind Ruki, slapping a hand on his shoulder and telling him to make himself at home before walking through the living room and into the dining room. The younger didn’t even bat an eyelash at the couple’s sweetness when they’re clinging to each other, nor when they break apart as Syoya passes them with a Ruki trailing slowly behind.

No long after, Junki brings Sukai down from helping the younger get settled in, and they’re all seated awkwardly at the dining table. 

“Shouldn’t we get to know each other a little now?” Junki’s still the one to initiate conversation, a command that was once held in Sho’s grasp now switching over to the younger, “why don’t you start, Sukai?”

“I’m from Osaka, but I’m a senior at the university nearby. I also work part-time in a library.” It’s short and simple, to the point. The others could gauge easily that he isn’t a talker. With the short sentences and almost monotone voice, it doesn’t help the tense atmosphere one bit.

Junki isn’t deterred though, offering up Ruki to introduce himself next.

“Hi, I’m Ruki. I live in Tokyo and I am currently in grad school for physics. I teach undergrads in the subject as well, and I should be getting my masters this year,” Sho almost lost it at Ruki started to speak because _god_ , he missed the accent. Maybe his stomach jolted at the familiar tone of voice, and maybe he had to sink down in his seat a little more as Ruki talked on. The younger hasn’t spared another glance towards him, and he was starting to feel like a kicked puppy.

“Physics! That was my favorite subject in high school!” Junki exclaims, and the two start to talk animatedly about the subject. Maybe Sho’s a little jealous hearing how well the boys were getting along in such a short amount of time. 

He remembers that Ruki was exceptional in the class, and often asked the younger to tutor him, even if Sho was supposed to be in a more advanced class due to him being one year older. He smiled at the thought of Ruki going into something he loved, and wished that he could have been there when Ruki was left to make decisions on his own for college.

Keigo’s taking another big swig of beer, eyes trained on the older whose eyes were trained on the brown-haired physics student. 

It’s a love triangle in its early stages of formation. The younger reaches out and places his hand on the older’s thigh. It elicits no response except for the grab of the hand and intertwining fingers, and Keigo smiles lightly at the automatic response. 

Ruki can feel Sho’s eyes burning the side of his face, and it’s just so hard to stay away from them. They’re melted chocolate and Ruki just wants to ingest it all, but he restrains himself from looking into the older’s enticing eyes. Sho was different now, somehow a little bigger a little more manlier and Ruki still can’t breathe, but he’s having a conversation with another roommate and he needs to look like everything is okay.

Ruki is just how Sho remembered him, brown locks in small strands covering his forehead and lightly draped over his eyes. He still hasn’t grown much since high school, still the same scrawny kid in oversized clothing. Sho can’t get the image out of his mind and it pains him for every second he continues to think about the younger.

When Ruki finally glances over, unintentionally locking his gaze with the eldest once again, his words stutter. They’re jammed in his throat; he can feel them bubbling up and as they start to spill over it’s almost gibberish. There’s an evident flush on his face that there wasn’t before now, and he hates the feeling. Hates the way he stole a glance at the blonde across from him when moving his eyes away, how he knew the look in his eye when he looks at Sho because _he_ used to look at Sho like that. Keigo — Ruki’s now learned and memorised everyone’s name — was mesmerized by the older and Ruki wants to throw up at the thought.

It goes on like this for a while; Junki leading conversation and trying to include everyone in, Sho stealing glances at Ruki whenever he can, and Keigo drinking more and more when he realizes that Sho isn’t going to keep looking at him like the way he was before Ruki arrived. He’s upset, the scene from earlier playing over and over again and he hates that he wasn’t faster at touching his lips to the older’s neck, wanting the sweet taste but never getting the chance. 

Later that night, Keigo finds himself in the playroom with Junki. He doesn’t know how he got there, and he doesn’t know when he started crying but there he is, wrapped tightly in Junki’s embrace. It’s way past their bedtime, and they’re the only ones up now so Junki has to keep Keigo quiet, trying to convince him to calm down. 

It’s not easy to convince the drunk of something, not when their mind floats away from them and they have the attention span of a goldfish. So he just cradles the younger in his arms, thumbs wiping away at stray tears and whispering sweet nothings. 

“Why doesn’t Sho like me? D-did I do s-something wrong?” Keigo is muttering incoherent words through sobs, a blubbering mess. His heart is aching, only craving attention that Sho denied him.

Junki’s heart aches at the broken words coming from Keigo. He knew how much the older man meant to him, how much he did for him and wants to keep doing for him. Keigo’s a worrier, always worrying over Sho and wondering what’s wrong and it kills him when he doesn’t know and can’t help, but what’s worse is that Keigo now knows exactly what’s on Sho's mind and it hurts even more than when he’s out of the loop. 

It’s a half hour, or probably more that Keigo goes on about Sho. He’s getting madder by the second at Sho from the lack of attention, accusing him and wasting away all rationale. His voice picks up in speed and volume and Junki’s scared that he will wake up their roommates. Junki sighs deeply and grabs his face in both hands, making their eyes meet.

“Keigo, stop worrying, okay?” His voice is soft like honey and the blonde pouts. There’s an expression in Keigo’s eyes that Junki can’t decipher. It’s so intense that it makes his stomach drop.

And, fuck, Keigo is so gone that he has no rationale thoughts left in his body. One shot turned into two, and then five that he chased with four beers which turned into six, and then easily eight. It’s been a while since Keigo has drank so much in one sitting; his stomach is doing somersaults and maybe his feelings are so intertwined and he isn’t thinking straight and he’s getting everything so mixed up in his head that he just leaps forward on no thought whatsoever, lips crashing into the older’s as they fall back into the soft cushions.

A shiver runs down Junki’s spine as he’s much closer to the hot body of the other, his temperature skyrocketing at the contact he’s been craving. The younger’s tears mix into their kiss, seeking comfort in the arms of the other and soon he just can’t get enough.

It almost doesn’t register to Keigo that he’s kissing Junki and not Sho, but honestly it doesn’t matter to him because lips are lips and rational thoughts are pushed so far back in his head that he couldn’t care less about what happens tonight or thereafter. 

Junki’s stoic, eyes wide as his mind is back to sobriety. He hasn’t drunk a single drop after the new roommates arrived. He knows he should be pushing Keigo off, but when that first stray tear touches his lips and he felt the trembling ones of the younger on top of him he didn’t have the strength to even think. Junki scrunched his eyebrows at the new sensation and yet wants it tenfold more, a hand sneaking into the younger’s blonde locks.

It was bad, it was so very bad for them that it felt so right and neither complained when tongues met, creating sparks in the air. 

At first it’s fast, hot and heated as Keigo just thinks about Sho Sho _Sho_. While it wasn’t revealed to the roommates that Sho and Ruki dated, just by the recognition in their voices and knowing each other’s names before they even said anything was enough to fuel rage in Keigo. There was something up that he couldn’t quite place, and he bruised the black-haired male’s lips as he thought more and more about it. 

Junki’s reacting in just the right way, thoughts at first about how Keigo needed someone so much right now, and if this was it then he would give it to him. But the thoughts quickly changed pace, loving the feeling of someone on his lips as well. Junki was always somewhat of a player, dating around and never sticking to just one person. Always the next brought something new to the table that Junki relished, and soon he became addicted to the change, the feeling of newness. 

It’s fast and quick and suffocating from the tension in the room, the blonde straddling the older now, pushing him up against the little cushioned wall. He’s on his knees, body pressed flush against the older with hands buried so deep in his hair one might be surprised when they emerged later on to reveal their existence. 

Maybe Keigo’s too drunk and he can’t stop his moans, his grunts of satisfaction and whines when the older pulls at his lip.

And when they get tired, they’re still kissing. But it’s gentler now, neither wanting to part from the sensation, the feeling kissing gave them. Lips slide smoothly over each other, dancing in sync. 

And Keigo wants more. He wants more and more and moves his lips down to Junki’s neck, pressing chaste butterfly kisses and he thinks he’s in heaven, finally getting to place lips onto the throat that he’s been itching to do for hours now. The bite marks aren’t subtle and Junki doesn’t care about the mess. Maybe his body reacts in just the right way, head tilting back impossibly far and Keigo jumps at the chance of more exposed skin.

It’s back to fast paces, hands sliding under shirts to feel the hot skin of one another and a fleeting thought crosses Junki’s mind of asking why, but it goes away just as quick as it came when Keigo runs a tongue over his most recent love bite on his collarbone, hands searching everywhere. 

_You’re fucking up._

It’s a simultaneous thought to the both of them when Junki grabs a fistful of blonde, meeting his lips in a slow and sensual kiss that has both of them driving up the wall. 

Neither cared. Neither listened.

It continues like that, fast and then slow, fast and then slow and it drives the older mad. He thinks he must be as drunk as Keigo is to be doing so much with the younger, lips glistening and red. He’s not thinking straight, eyes hazy and he’s high off of the contact and he’s pulling the younger in for more and more. 

It’s not until Keigo’s hands reach up and up and up, and then down and down and down when Junki let’s go, gasping for air and lightly shoving the other off of him. 

Junki’s staring at him now, a whole new perspective of the younger whom he thought was just an innocent cute boy. Rather, his kisses took his breath away and he craved for the next time that Keigo would take his lip between his teeth, or shove his tongue down his throat without any warning and maybe it’s the alcohol that’s taking over Keigo’s actions but there’s no way that the blonde hasn’t done that to anyone else before. It’s too sharp, too practiced in a way as if Keigo knows the other would give in to him.

Something happened between them, changing the dynamic and they both silently agreed to it as they stared at each other, wondering what just happened. There’s no more tears coming from Keigo’s eyes, and he wonders why he was even crying in the first place. 

Eyes dart back and forth between facial features, glancing way too long at the harsh red painting their lips and delirious eyes.

Something has changed, they both know it. And it’s scary how much both loved it, panting desperately at the aftermath of the heat exchanged between them.

And this is why Keigo doesn’t drink.

* * *

Junki’s heart aches at the words _”I’m making Keigo some breakfast”_ coming from Sho’s lips, and he doesn’t know why. It’s confusing, and he pushes it down as he grabs a bowl of cereal, the only thing he can stomach right now. 

He’s even more confused when he sees Keigo waltz into the kitchen, leaning across Sho and giggling playfully as if last night nothing happened. Junki’s hands reach up unconsciously towards his throat, pulling the strings of his sweatshirt just a little tighter. 

It’s a quiet breakfast for Junki, but not so much for the couple across from him as Sho watches the younger eat, so clearly trying to salvage whatever happened last night as he probably laid awake in bed, sorting out his thoughts and feelings. It looks like he’s come to the conclusion that it’s better with Keigo, and they’re acting like they've always done in the past.

Sho just wants to grasp a little longer onto whatever they had before; he couldn’t let it go even if it would kill him. He knows Keigo is a good kid, smart and kind and funny and it’s eating at his insides that someone’s been on his mind for the past couple of days, if not weeks, but isn’t it better to at least try?

Junki can’t breathe, and he doesn’t know why because after they lazily made out again Keigo pressed a light finger to his lips, whispering in his drunken state that it was a secret, that he loves Sho too much and it shouldn’t happen again. It kills Junki that he has to pretend that what they did didn’t happen, guilt eating him up inside as he looks at the happy couple in front of him. It’ll come out, the truth always does.

He thinks Keigo must have forgotten about last night, probably too drunk to remember even hours before they went up to the playroom, and sighs in only minor relief that if anyone was to be burdened with the information, that it should be Junki since it would hinder Sho and Keigo’s relationship even more if the blonde knew. What he wasn’t expecting was when he catches the eye of the younger, he winks.

And it’s really unexpected that he finds himself in the same position later that night as he was just 24 hours earlier, door closed and hands wide open, roaming skin.

The love triangle has turned into a love square without them even realizing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi i'm sorry. i love drama.
> 
> i thought it was only going to be just a one night 'stand' (they only made out i promise) but then my hands started typing more and oops. maybe it'll be more interesting this way though.
> 
> also i aged up ruki 1 year oops but everyone else is the same age as they are now irl
> 
> and honestly idc if you're skipping the songs i put at the beginning but if there's any songs you should br listening to at each chapter it would be all of those songs i couldn't pick just one


	22. Episode 22. "Meat Incident 2.0"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max ft. Lil Uzi Vert - Wrong
> 
> ~ slightly sexual content at beginning warning

It’s a week later, finally the weekend and everyone can relax.

Though relaxing might be a stretch, with the still high tension in the air but everyone’s easily adjusted to just ignoring it and pretending everything was okay. It still wasn’t brought up to anyone in the household that Ruki and Sho used to date, and no one wanted to bring up how they knew each other in the first place. The roommates could tell it was a touchy subject and always tried to avoid being in the same room with the both of them.

It’s early in the afternoon now and the housemates are stuck inside. Harsh pounding of the rain can be heard coming from outside, the roof sounding like it’s being impaled and about to give in.

Maybe that’s why Junki has the video game on such a high volume, screeching to add to the noise every now and again as the blonde beside him shoots his character dead. He’s laughing, always laughing at the other’s pout that’s forever ingrained on his face as he’s always losing. Sometimes he’s almost there, thinking he’s sneaking up on the other, but when _Game Over_ flashes on the screen he screams in frustration, practically breaking the controller. He still can’t believe the controller hasn’t broken yet. 

“You ass, just let me win!” Junki cries out, futile attempts at pressing the buttons in a frenzy. Once again he failed his mission — after stalking his prey for 15 minutes before dying, a record time for the older — and whines like a child. He can’t even stand to look at Keigo; losing so many games he can count them on both his hands (he won’t count the first game, Keigo was cheating but he’s much rather not get into the details) and it sucks because he was always good at the game before Keigo came around.

“No can do, Junkichi,” the blonde smirks, eyes trained on the glorious victory on the screen.

He’s thriving, feeding off of the other’s cute behavior and he can’t help but chuckle at the older’s tone of voice. He adjusts his position, now right foot tucked under him with left foot planted, knee high as he leans slightly towards the right. Junki was on the right side of the room, elbow resting on the low platform beside him to give leverage that he most certainly doesn’t have on the blonde.

Junki makes a strangled noise, eyes darting everywhere on the screen (more often than not on Keigo’s side now what with the way his luck was going) as his fingers move the joysticks frantically. The rain is coming down hard, a complete downpour and Junki thinks it matches his emotions perfectly right now. 

Maybe Junki’s outstretched foot accidentally brushing up against Keigo distracted the younger, and maybe Junki didn’t even notice the difference of their positions now, and maybe that’s exactly how Junki got his first win of the day.

Junki’s high off of it, face brightening up in an instant as he leans to the left, a finger pointing in Keigo’s face mockingly. He’s close now, grinning his signature smile that’s just so wide that it makes Keigo’s heart leap into his throat. And, god, Keigo wants to wipe the smirk off his face so badly.

He makes his wish come true, leaping at the older with enough force to knock him clean onto his back as their lips meet in haste. 

This isn’t anything new now, Junki expecting as much. He hates to admit it but it’s routine to be at each other’s lips and throat, and it makes Junki’s heart race knowing that it’s the middle of the day where anyone can walk in as their make out sessions usually end up being at night. 

Hair gets knotted as teeth clash, the boys only looking for a quick blowing off of steam. The rush is intoxicating, doing something so wrong but it feeling so right.

Heartbeats become in sync with the rain, rapid and heavy and dense. Junki wonders what it would be like to kiss the younger in the rain, soaked clothing clinging as if a second skin, the feeling of water droplets running down their face and into the crooks of their necks. It makes Junki gasp for air, seperating from Keigo’s lips. However it doesn’t deter the blonde, instead he dives straight for the neck; his favorite spot. 

Keigo’s leaving a bit more marks this time and Junki has to bite his sleeve to keep from making noises that were way too loud. The rain is torrential, though, and he doubts anyone would hear if he just decided to let it all go and scream still his lungs give out. 

Keigo’s pulling at his shirt. It’s fast and intense and the boys just want to _feel_ something, doesn’t matter what or how or with who. Keigo craves the attention, loving the feeling under his fingertips as they run over sensitive skin, over the lips of someone else as they dip slightly inside. He wants to feel loved, to feel someone underneath him just like how Junki’s always looking for a quick one night stand. It’s the rush, the strain on the heart and the shortness of breath that he’s addicted to.

It’s been three, four, five times now where they’ve had intense kisses, hands free range. Every single time, Sho flies out of Keigo’s mind as he just focuses on the lips beneath his feet entangled with the other’s. Every single time, when he comes up for fresh air, when they end their releases it’s an instant cloud of regret.

But he can’t stop himself.

He wasn’t a player, not like the way Junki was. 

Honestly it was surprising that Junki hasn’t hit on anyone inside the house yet, knowing that he must’ve been itching to do _something_ with someone to fuel his passionate nature. It was only a matter of time before Junki’s touched someone, kissed someone in the house and he thought he was going to lose his mind for the first few weeks. But he had to live with them, and he doesn’t know who those people are. They could be super conservative for all Junki knows, and he didn’t want to make living with him awkward.

Well look where he’s ended up now.

It’s like the speed race for them, and they’re almost at the finish line. It’s still hot and heavy and Keigo still hasn’t come up for another breath, lips stuck to each other like magnets. Keigo doesn’t know what’s so addicting about the older, and he wants to discover it. He’s exploring every nook and cranny of the black-haired male, and he seems to be coming up short with every french kiss and every tight squeeze of the bicep.

They don’t pull apart until they hear a loud thud, just outside the door of the playroom. As quick as lightning, Keigo is off the older and back on his side of the room. Even if they’re several feet apart now, there’s no doubt that with the messed up hair, wrinkled clothes and so obviously red lips that there was something more than an innocent video game going on. 

Heartbeats are the only sounds each can hear, loud and clear in their eardrums from the sudden shock of seemingly almost getting caught. Without the door being locked, it’s fair game.

Junki scrambles to his feet, throat closing and he has a feeling he shouldn’t be near the younger anymore, despite every fiber of his being protesting the feeling of being away from his intoxicating kisses. He doesn’t want to know what it would be like to get caught, tongue down the younger’s throat when he knows he shouldn’t be with him. It’s iek a cold bucket of water finally, finally opening his eyes at these actions he’s been doing with Keigo this whole time. His stomach twists, eyes staring into the younger’s and Keigo just knows that it’s all over. 

Junki hates this feeling. Sho is all he can think about now and he can’t breathe. He would be hurting his friend if he ever found out, and Junki hates how he’s never done this before, always judging others who were going through the same thing that he is right now. He wants to throw up. But with one look in Keigo’s eyes, it’s impossible for Junki to just _not_ be near him, and he’s craving the younger’s lips again even with the possibility of someone still outside the unlocked door.

Junki hates sneaking around.

Keigo watched the older walk quickly out the door, a stuttering mess as he came across a less than impressed (and probably couldn’t care less) Sukai. Keigo silently thanks whoever’s watching over him that it was the quiet new guy, because if it was anyone else, even Ruki, he would be just a little bit more fucked. 

When the roommates meet up for dinner later downstairs, the friends-with-benefits don’t even look each other in the eye. It’s a new tension in the air that the roommates couldn’t place. Even if Junki and Keigo weren’t as close as Junki was to Takumi, they’re friendly enough for this separation and flat out ignoring each other to be slightly off putting.

* * *

Syoya doesn’t remember when he started to hate the newest youngest member of the house. Maybe he got a bad vibe from the younger when he first moved in, not liking the way he wasn’t bubbling and smiling and overall cheerful like the black-haired boy himself was. It was unpleasant, to say the least. He’s more than irritated to notice how the younger leaves the bathroom a mess, water everywhere on the counter and the hand towel all scrunched in a shape that just somehow gives the boy anxiety. They pass by each other as Syoya’s about to go into the bathroom, Sukai walking out with his face void of expression.

It definitely didn’t help when Syoya catches the younger sitting calmly at the dining table, eating a particular meat that Syoya just <.em>knows is his, given to him as a sort of ‘care package’ when his mother came up last weekend for a visit. She had brought him produce from their farm, as well as some meat. It was around the time for harvesting before winter overtook the farm, and the family had to stock up. 

Being raised in the northeast of his prefecture, Syoya grew up on a farm instead of in the city, or at least a suburban-like area as the rest of Aichi. He loved to run around the farm chasing the chickens or petting the cows as they swiped their tails at him. Syoya’s childhood consisted of more animals than human friends, lots of overalls, and giggly laughter late into the nights as he just couldn never fall asleep to his mother’s voice trying to tell him a bedtime story. 

He was definitely a mama’s boy. There was no one more special in his life, and he believed that mothers are so essential to this world. He wouldn’t be caught dead disrespecting her, always the first to offer up care if she ever got sick, pushing her back into a chair when she just gave even the littlest of coughs. 

And because of his mother, Syoya has a thing for respect. 

It was such an attractive trait that it made the black-haired boy’s heart race more than a cute face, or strong body. Acts of kindness and loyalty resonate with him, and he can’t help but feel rage growing from his stomach as he laid eyes on the boy in front of him, eating his food that was hand picked and hand delivered. He even announced it, so excited that his mother surprised him (if you couldn’t tell by the huge grin plastered on the boy’s face all night) and that he would put it in the fridge for later use. It’s far from expected that anyone would just take from the fridge, especially living with roommates, and especially with new roommates that you don’t know the dynamics of. He thinks it’s inconsiderate of the younger to just take without asking, and it hurts even more to know that it came from someone special.

Syoya hates inconsiderate people.

It's not about informing, it's about asking, you should ask before you take something that isn't yours. It's a pretty simple concept. 

Sukai just seems to take and take and take and doesn’t think about the consequences of his actions and Syoya has had enough of it. It was only a week, but it felt like eternity to the boy who just wants everything to be perfect and spotless. 

Syoya just couldn’t help himself as he stomped over to the dining table, glowering at the younger and just staring until he looked up. 

“What?”

“Where’d you get that?” Syoya’s pissed, if you couldn’t tell.

“Uh . . . the fridge? There’s still some left.” Sukai nodded his head towards the refrigerator, not knowing what the older was so mad about.

And maybe Syoya was the petty type, and maybe with the younger’s quiet demeanor doesn’t help him one bit as it seems like Sukai just doesn’t care about _anything_. It came as quite a shock when Syoya started screaming at the younger, only to figure out that the brown-haired boy was just as hotheaded, firing right back. 

“You don’t know a single thing about respect, don’t you? I can’t fucking believe this, I’m living with a psycho,” Syoya growls, throwing his hands up. The he points an accusing finger at the younger, “that’s my _fucking_ food!”

He’s so upset, knowing how hard his parents work now that he’s gone, tending to the plants and animals even more than they used to. His mother even left to come and see him, bringing precious food they grew and should keep to themselves but his mother is selfless and that’s what he loves the most about her.

And now Syoya is crying hot tears as he clenches his jaw in attempt to try and keep his emotions at bay, heart aching at the thought of his mother as he misses her _so much_. Sure, he saw her just last week but now that Syoya’s away for college the past few years, the transition was so new and scary and he’s decided he hates change. 

“Maybe you should put a sign on it or something, then,” Sukai snorts, standing up from his unfinished plate and stalking off. He really doesn’t understand the other student, not being in the house at the time of the announcement. Sharing is caring, right?

He’s kicked the chair back with enough force to hear the legs scratching the floor and it’s like nails on a chalkboard for Syoya. The younger doesn’t flinch at the sound, face expressionless once again. It’s scary how fast the expression changed, from anger of accusation to no emotion at all; from being hot headed and yelling right back to calming his voice down and leaving the room in what would be a quiet manner save for the only evidence being the chair’s now hazardous position away from the table. 

“Prick,” Syoya swears at his back, huffing. 

He’s sitting at the table now, head resting on his clenched fists, fingernails digging into his palms as he’s staring longingly at the plate of food and he’s just thinking. Thinking about his mother, his father, the poor animal that had to be slaughtered and how his mother brought it for him and he didn’t even get to taste it. 

Maybe his mother had told him to share it with his friends, his roommates, and Syoya was going to but the week got away from him and now he just knows that Sukai is not his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you liked this short little update! and i actually proofread! (watch there still be mistakes)
> 
> i couldn't think of another way for them to fight and it's so cringe and bad but it's okay i missed the legendary meat incident from boys and girls in the city so honestly take it or imagine a better fight scene for yourself cause i can't come up with them lmao


	23. Episode 23. "Some Secrets Spill"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> EXO - Obsession

You would think that after being rude to someone, you would apologize and try to make it up to them. 

No, that unfortunately didn’t happen for Syoya.

It’s been days since he caught Sukai eating the precious food his mom brought for him, and he finds pleasure in shooting the younger death glares. Sukai hasn’t said a lick of anything to Syoya, nothing to excuse himself, or even mention that he didn’t know it was his. Syoya’s just assuming and now his emotions are out of whack, from missing his family too much and from the stress of his senior year, it’s all getting too much for him. 

Sukai still doesn’t apologize, not even when he accidentally spills his coffee onto the older when he bumps into him, ruining the older’s fancy outfit. It was career day and Syoya was looking forward to meeting with companies, giving his resume and hopefully scoring some interviews. He’s been waiting for this moment for a long time, one of the easiest ways to score interviews and land permanent jobs after graduating and Syoya just doesn’t want to worry about trying to land interviews later on. The coffee is hot and sticky and makes Syoya late for his first class as he has to find another outfit — he’s not one for wearing such nice outfits, and only brought a single dress shirt with him so he has to pester Sho into letting the younger borrow another — that’s somewhat suitable. He’s fueled with rage, more accusing fingers and snarls sent Sukai’s way and it’s scaring the other roommates as they’ve never seen such a distraught side of Syoya before.

“You’re just trying to ruin my days, aren’t you? You’re cynical,” the older huffs, pulling his wet shirt away from his body. He only gets a smirk in response, and it riles him up even more.

Maybe that’s why Sukai never apologized; Syoya’s bad attitude came at him strong and he didn’t even try to think that it was an accident.

There’s so much tension in the house practically none of the boys can stand to be with one another in the same room. It’s quiet, dead as they tip toe around each other on eggshells.

Sho’s always looking at Ruki, admiring his new hair cut, or wondering if he had eaten today. He knows the younger is slowly losing sleep, the way the bags appear under his eyes and the light peeking from underneath his door in the middle of the night as he not only works on his own assignments, but also grades the undergrads work as well as making lesson plans for them. It’s so much, too much for the tired physics graduate student. Sho knows exactly how he feels, and wants the younger to open up to him so they can talk about teaching together, judging their students and creating inside jokes about the funniest test answers they’ve received.

Ruki can feel his eyes, and it sends a warm shiver down his spine. Sometimes he thinks it’ll turn into something, but then Keigo’s arm will wind around the older’s neck and he’ll say something cute making Sho laugh and it breaks his heart even more.

While Sho is busy sending obvious glances towards Ruki, Junki’s being so obvious as to _not_ look at Keigo that it’s straining the tension even more. Since that fateful day in the playroom, Junki’s been avoiding the blonde non-stop, trying to get later shifts and always eating out at a local coffee shop or diner in the morning or during the day.

The guilt is eating him up inside.

Late at night he’ll be trying to sleep, only then to crave the late night touches of the blonde. Every night, the younger pops into his head and it’s off-putting because Junki’s never felt this before, not with anyone. He likes to sleep around, not go on dates. So why was the blonde always on his mind?

If Ruki’s losing sleep, then so was Junki. They’re sharing the same bags under each other’s eyes, a sort of understanding between another. Lately they’ve been starting to hang out, Ruki grateful to the younger as he was the first one to try and make him feel at home despite the awkward exchange with Sho. 

It’s one night in the middle of the week that they’re sitting on the rooftop, wrapped in blankets in the early November weather. There’s a small breeze, and it’s enough to chill Junki to the bone. And they’re just talking, a breath of fresh air from the suffocating inside of the house, where even the kitchen is sometimes off limits. Ruki hates being cooped up in his room, and Junki hates avoiding the playroom now.

Somehow or another it gets late, way later into the night than they expected, and they’re just so comfortable now that the boys feel like they can share anything.

“You know, there’s something in your voice that I just can’t quite place and it’s been bugging me. You said you’re from Tokyo, right?” Junki’s hearing may not be great at night, with sleep trying to overcome his tired body but he just won’t let it. But he knows that there are phases here and there, a different dialect from the city, a little tweak on how he says his words and it’s so familiar but he can’t quite make it out.

Ruki humms, eyes now looking down at the fuzzy blanket instead of the boy across from him. He thinks that now’s a good time as any, and if there is anyone he trusts in the house it would be Junki.

“Ah . . . well, I am from Tokyo, but I moved away from the city when I was in high school. My parents are still there, and I might have been too but I decided to move away from the island for college, back to Tokyo,” Ruki’s smile is strained. Junki wonders what he meant when Ruki says that he would have stayed, and since they’re already talking about it why not continue the deepening conversation happening at 2 am.

“You, would have stayed?” It’s a cautious question, a little pause, feeling the air before he continued.

“I’m surprised Sho didn’t tell you. Obviously, we knew each other from before,” Ruki gave a dry chuckle, “I moved to his hometown. My father was transferred. That’s where the accent comes from.”

Junki nods in understanding, the information finally coming together as he pieces Sho’s accent with the vague one filtering in every now and again in Ruki’s. It’s stronger at some times, more than others, and Junki realizes that the brown-haired boy reverts back to the accent when he’s around the eldest, maybe without knowing. Their connection sends a sharp pain through Junki, and he doesn’t know why.

“I was wondering how you two knew each other,” Junki tries to smile, but he can tell by the expression of Ruki’s face that there aren’t happy memories floating around in his head.

All Ruki can think about right now is the way that Sho’s accent thickened when they broke up. The phone call was staticy, but he could still tell.

“Yeah, we uh . . . we dated. For a couple of years. Oh, god,” and Ruki’s trying to hold it in, holding everything in for the past week and a half that he’s moved in now it’s all pouring out in waves with Junki on the rooftop. He wants to kick and scream and complain about Keigo, but at the same time he wants Keigo to just take Sho away from him and never have to look at the older again. 

Junki listens as Ruki rants on, feelings spilling over as he brushes his tears away every now and again. There weren’t many people he could talk about this with before, so letting it all out (even after 6 years) was such a relief for the older. Junki just listens, feeling sympathetic for their long distance relationship when Sho had moved away to the southern mainland for college. Even if they did still date when Ruki left for college, Ruki would still be in Tokyo and it would still be a long ride between the two. 

It’s not until Ruki continues onto the present, on how suffocated he felt seeing the younger again for the first time in a long time, bringing up the relationship with Keigo, that Junki’s eyes are open wide, hands tightening on the blanket around him.

There’s a howling breeze now, ruffling their hair and Junki thinks it’s the perfect wind at the worst possible time.

“Are Sho-kun and Keigo-kun in a relationship, because I just need to know for my sanity,” Ruki sniffles quietly, eyes finally glancing up at Junki and he’s as pale as a ghost.

The younger one has been avoiding anything Keigo for the past few days and it was working for the most part — even if he does think about the younger every late night like this. He hates to see how the blonde was acting perfectly normal with the eldest of the roommates, as if those intense moments between them never happened and didn’t affect him the way they affected Junki. It’s almost sickening, and he wonders if this is how his one night stands felt when they tried to contact him the morning after, only to get one word replies, or even none at all.

“Junki?”

“Hmm? Oh, right, Sho-kun and Keigo-kun,” Junki chuckles disheartenedly. Honestly, he doesn’t know where they stand, and he wonders whether he should lie or not to the older. He wishes for the couple to be together, so he can just give up and move onto someone new. But then again, with the way Ruki was looking expectantly at him, Junki was going to lose his mind if he told another lie.

“They’re close, and I know they have feelings towards one another. I don’t think it’s official yet.”

Ruki doesn’t know whether to feel relieved or heartache, knowing that Sho wasn’t dating but there was still definitely something there that would turn into something more in no time. He slumps in his chair, pulling his legs even closer to him as he rides out the wind. 

The nighttime was quiet, peaceful. Both the boys sit in silence now, listening to the crickets in the distance as they take pleasure in the calming atmosphere. Ruki wants to know more about Keigo, wants to know why Junki’s head snapped at the name, but it was a much different reaction than Ruki’s ever had to Sho’s name that the older was afraid to bring the blonde up again, asking what was going on.

So they continue to sit in silence, mulling over new information and trying to figure out where to go from there. 

Junki thinks it's funny, a fleeting thought shooting like a star across his mind at the thought of if Ruki and Sho got back together, that maybe he and Keigo would have a chance. It’s funny to him, impossibly so and he laughs at the thought out loud. A sad smile appears on his face when Ruki questions him, and instead he offers to go back inside the warm house as it’s nearing 3 am. 

The boys retreat back to their own rooms, bidding each other good night. But even as they’re in bed, blankets pulled up tight against their chin, they don’t fall asleep until the morning sun kisses the horizon.

* * *

Less than 24 hours later, somehow all of the housemates were home at the same time, all of them eating at the dinner table where Junki practically forced everyone to sit as he tried to relax himself by making dinner once again. It’s a sad memory, making the first ever dish when he first arrived, now for two new people instead of the original six but he pushes the thought aside for now.

Junki’s been thinking all day, and he wants a change. The house he once loved, full of lively laughter and competitive games was now full of tension not even a hot knife could cut through.

He places the steaming hot dish onto the center of the dining table with a grand gesture, trying to be the once lively Junki he used to be. Without a doubt it’s the food that brought the roommates together, slowly coercing one another into talking about their day and attempting a normal conversation.

It was slow going, but was still heading in the positive direction, for which everyone was grateful for.

Like in all fairy tales, good things must come to an end, and real life was no exception. It’s just Syoya nitpicking again. He doesn’t mean it, feeding off of the happy energy from Junki so much that he started to become his happy self as well. It’s just casual roommate stuff that anyone would talk about; how there’s always dishes in the sink (but he doesn’t mind cleaning them up); the blankets and pillows are always a mess, sometimes finding magazines on the floor (but Syoya likes to feel the soft blankets as he folds them neatly so it doesn’t matter); the mess in the bathroom (that Syoya’s cleaned from the beginning so it’s like routine). But the last one has a definite aim; no one could miss the way his eyes trace the younger in front of him.

Syoya’s compulsive, uncontrollable at times with his words and the tone behind them. 

He gets mad at just the lift of one of the younger’s eyebrows, almost telling him to continue on insulting him vaguely, as if Sukai, or the others for that matter, didn’t know. 

And Syoya tries, he really does, to not yell at the younger. But when their eyes lock, he could see the mischievous glint, seeing the ghost of a smirk on his face and maybe he loses it once again. So he pries more, says just a little bit more while their eyes stay locked. He’s even having fun with it, getting comfortable with the words as they come out of his mouth until Sukai reaches over and takes a sip of the drink in front of him. It’s Syoya’s water bottle, and there’s no mistake by the sparkle in Sukai’s eyes, contrary to the passive facial expression that he knew what he was doing.

It’s purely out of spite, getting on the younger’s nerves as now this is just another little mess he has to clean up as his whole mouth is practically covering all of the bottle opening. It stops Syoya right in his tracks, lips moving but no sound is coming out. A visible shiver elicits from the black-haired male, and he sucks in a rattling breath as his eyes flicker to the lips on _his_ bottle, then back up Sukais face, to his eyes.

“You did not just-” Syoya’s leaning across the table now, snatching the water bottle back and making water droplets fly. He’s disgusted, absolutely disgusted by the saliva and plain disrespect for other people’s possessions, “You’re fucking disgusting. Despicable.” They’re like daggers.

“I was thirsty,” Sukai shrugs, finger toying with his napkin. It’s so obvious he’s provoking Syoya, the younger can even see it but he doesn’t care. The happy image of the university student is gone and all he can do is yell at the younger as he does the same, clashing.

“God, I just wanted to have one happy family meal! Is that too much to ask?”

Junki’s head is in his hands, palms pressing into his eyes as he feels a headache coming on. He tried to make this day better, to listen to calming music and release his stress with some yoga in his room. He planned out his day off, with all calming activities, and then doing what he liked the most at night; cooking for everyone. 

“That’s it. That’s it! I can’t take it anymore. We’re going on a trip, and you’re all going to be damn happy after it’s done. We live together for god’s sake, why can’t we get along?” Junki whined, slamming his hands down on the table. 

“A trip?” That came from Sho, a confused expression blossoming on his face. He’s still not used to letting others take the lead.

“Yes, a trip. I already planned it,” Junki sighed, pulling at his hair. He made a call earlier in the day, so excited that he could just burst. He thinks it would definitely create new and fun memories for everyone in the house, and maybe the tension would ease up. Honestly, if they didn;t have fun where Junki’s trip was planned, then they were all doomed.

“I called Ren earlier today. We’re meeting up with him and Takumi this weekend at Tokyo Disneyland.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as much as i hate boss, that was a smart move. stream the new season of terrace house so i can scream about boss with you


	24. Episode 24. "The Happiest Place on Earth Pt. 1"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Intersection - Falling

Junki was missing his best friend. 

He missed the loud bursts of laughter that came from his pink-haired friend’s mouth, always genuine and only coming out in short spurts. Being so shy, Junki always loved trying to get the younger to laugh, as he never did or said too much that would bring attention to himself.

He missed the warm smile and always encouraging aura of Takumi, and his ability to make Junki’s own smile appear as well.

He missed his best friend.

So that’s when he decided to call the younger, the thought interrupting his calming afternoon.

_”Junki? What’s up?” The older one never usually calls. The six of them always text in the chat, maybe sending a voice memo here or there but that was rare. Though, if anyone were to call him it would be Junki._

_“Takumi,” the boy cried out, holding out the last vowel in his name, “I miss you. Please come back.”_

_Takumi could see the pout ingrained in his mind, giggling at the thought. Oh how much Junki missed that laugh._

_“Me and Ren already moved out, though. That’s kind of impossible now,” and Takumi did want to see the older one, he really did. He missed his best friend too, and even with being still nearby, they haven’t gone out much together since Takumi moved away. He’s picked up more shifts at the flower shop now, the work and learning consuming his all of his time._

_“Well, can we do something? I think I might lose my mind and I . . . really just need a friend right now,” Junki’s voice trailed off. He hates admitting this sense of vulnerability, but he just wants to feel a little bit happier again, a little bit of the normalcy from before._

_“Well, Ren and I have been talking recently about a meet up. I could talk to him, see what he has planned? I’m sure he would love to see the rest of you as well!” It’s been so long since Junki heard his enthusiastic voice and he just wants to melt into his friend’s embrace, knowing everything would be alright again._

_“You’re the best, Strawberry!” Junki exhaled in relief, falling back onto the mat beneath him. Takumi was such a sweetheart and Junki was jealous that Ren was with him, though he never looked at the younger as more than a friend._

And now, after expressing his wishes to everyone at the dining table, it was a complete turnover once Junki said the words “Tokyo Disneyland". 

Honestly, if this was what it took to get the guys to loosen up and become this happy in such a small amount of time that would’ve been the first words out of his mouth when Ruki arrived.

“Disneyland? Ren? Takumi? Sign me up!” Keigo jumped up, knocking a knee into the dining table but he doesn’t care about the pain because he was going to be visiting Disneyland with his friends and old roommates. The blonde was already planning in his head which attractions they will most definitely be visiting and which arcade games he could totally beat the others at.

Junki smiled at his enthusiasm, the first time he’s acknowledged the other’s existence in days. It’s like a breath of fresh air to Keigo once he notices, and he doesn’t ever want to see that signature smile of his fade away.

“It’s settled then, we’re all going this weekend!” The black-haired boy shouts, fist pumping the air.

* * *

The boys decided to take a car to Disneyland, not wanting to pay the fare for the train. They took the Chevrolet, being that it can hold all six boys if they put up the hidden seats in the trunk. This means that one would have to sit in the back but Sukai doesn’t mind being the furthest away from Syoya (who stole the passenger seat next to the driver, Sho). 

That left Junki, Ruki, and Keigo in the backseat, with the blonde in the middle. Junki’s on fire with his leg brushing up against the younger’s but he doesn’t make a sound as he stares out the window intently, trying to distract himself in the trees passing by. His brain is telling him _get away_ but his body wants to react so badly and-

He rips his leg away from the hot body of the younger. It’s getting hot and stuffy and he doesn’t know how he ended in the seat right next to the blonde, cursing himself for not getting to the car earlier. 

Maybe there’s been a small knife in Keigo’s heart for a week now, not being able to even just talk, or be around the older like they used to. Now, with the simple action of moving his leg over, Keigo think’s the little knife in his heart has turned into a machete, the devil probably weidling it too. 

Junki closes his eyes, opening the window a sliver to just get some sort of fresh air into the car. It doesn’t help, but he likes the feeling of the wind through his hair so he keeps it open a crack, leaning back into his seat and closes his eyes.

The boys left pretty early in the morning, so it’s no wonder that Junki fell asleep. It’s almost a given, for they wanted to spend most of the day at the amusement park and being over three hours to drive, they had to leave pretty early. Inevitably, Junki’s body moved subconsciously towards the middle after the third time his head hit the car window, the car’s movement vibrating against his skin. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling; the shoulder of the younger sitting in the middle was apparently much more appealing.

Junki’s head softly bobbed over to the left wobbling back and forth from straight up and down, then to the side as he slowly became more and more sleepy, unconsciousness taking over him. Eventually his head settled on the younger’s shoulder, eyes fluttered closed and wouldn’t be opening anytime soon. 

Keigo doesn’t mind the weight; this is the most contact they’ve had in a while, and even if Junki wasn’t awake to remember it, Keigo smiles shyly down at the sleeping boy, adjusting his seating to give the older a better ‘pillow’ to rest on. His heart leaps in his throat as Junki snuggles even more, the smallest of snores eliciting from his mouth, and Keigo’s mind goes completely blank.

His eyes meet the driver’s in the rearview mirror, a quick glance. Keigo doesn’t know why his eyes went up there, there’s no reason to when he’s not driving. But they did, and he can feel the emotions radiating from Sho with that one glance, and he doesn’t like it one bit.

They arrive hours later, Junki having awoken halfway through when Sho had to abruptly slow down due to the fastly approaching traffic jam. His body was lurched forward, waking up after his head almost slammed into the headrest right in front of him — save for the hand quickly coming to block the older’s head from having a concussion when they still haven’t even arrived yet. Junki never knew where his head had landed after just falling asleep, only blushing at the feeling of Keigo catching him mid air and pulling him back into his seat. 

Disneyland was decorated in all sorts of Christmas decorations, even though the holiday is just over a month away. It’s crazy how early the stores and attractions start to get into the holiday spirit, and Ruki doesn’t mind as it’s his favorite holiday. 

Sho can’t help but to glance over at the younger — even with his hand fit snugly into Keigo’s — as he remembers how much the physics major loved to play in the snow and sing Christmas carols way too early, dragging the songs past the month of January as well. It’s automatic now, the way his eyes graze over Keigo, just to be magnetically pulled towards the brown-haired boy. 

He always did like darker hair colors best, he supposed. 

It’s not long before Takumi gets right up in Junki’s face, reaching his hands high as he tries to wrap them around the older. It’s a giggle fest, of the boys laughing as they reunited for the first time in a long time. It felt good to have someone you trust in your arms, and maybe Junki held onto his best friend for a little bit too long before he let go, giving Ren the cheesy hand slap and bro hug. 

“Glad to see you made it safe,” Ren grins after doing the same to his other housemates, before getting introduced to the new ones. He quickly stands next to his boyfriend, swinging an arm around his neck playfully. Takumi wrinkles his nose at the heavy arm, trying to push it off but the older wouldn’t budge. 

“I’m glad you could invite us,” Sho’s grateful for the escape. In such a vast place, he feels like anything could happen. While they should be staying together, who knows if others might break away in the large park. In the open air, his lungs can finally breathe, and his head can clear as he sorts out his thoughts. 

“Ren-kun,” Syoya is giddy, skipping older to the older and taking his hand playfully, “can we explore now? What about the roller coasters first?”

With Syoya’s eyes shining like that, how could the older say no?

So the group walks across the park, taking over a half an hour for what would be a ten minute walk because the group — Ruki — is too busy stopping to admire the decorations that the employees so generously displayed for tourists. It would be rude to not look at them, Ruki reasoned as he stopped for the fifth time in front of one of the massive evergreen trees that was thoroughly decked out in ornaments and lights until you could barely tell there was a tree underneath it all. 

“Ruki,” Junki groaned, walking over to the older and attempting to drag him away from the tree. He wants to ride the roller coaster just as much as Syoya does, and he can tell by everyone else huffing that they do too. 

Junki reached out and grabbed the older’s wrist, making him look over at who grabbed him. 

“S-sorry. I like pretty things,” the older chuckled lightly, eyes glancing down as a blush spread across his cheeks. Junki gave a small snort, rolling his eyes as he dragged the older with the rest of the roommates and ex roommates, wrist still firmly in his grasp. 

It’s very lucky for the brown-haired male as his eyes almost went straight to the eldest after they all turned around, thoughts still preoccupied with the pretty things.

And when they finally arrive at the rollercoaster, much to some people’s satisfaction — and others disappointment — the roller coaster’s seating was two people per cart. Ren and Takumi scramble past the others and all the way to the last seat on the ride, knowing it was the best seat of the coaster. Keigo tugs Sho’s hand to the seat in front of the ex roommates, still trying to figure out what his heart wants but loving the feel of Sho’s big hand in his. He smiles, albeit awkwardly, as Keigo sits on the inside while Sho is on the outside.

Seeing his options left, Junki quickly grabs Ruki and pushes him into the seat in front of the previous couple, though more for the sake of trying to get the other university undergrads to play nice. Even if he can’t resolve the tension between him and Keigo, or even Sho and Ruki, the least he could do was try to play a part in making the youngsters become friends; one less headache he has to deal with.

Syoya’s happy expression grows dark as he watches the older take Ruki, feeling quite betrayed. He doesn’t look the younger in the eye, huffing dramatically and practically throwing himself in the seat. Sukai, still calm as ever, throws a dull glance at the boy before placing himself in the seat beside the older, pressed tightly to the side of the car.

It’s a few minutes before the ride actually starts, the employees waiting for more passengers to ride and making sure the other coasters are far enough along for it to be safe. Just sitting there was agony for the roommates, while Ren and Takumi were exchanging light giggles and excited glances at the ride. While living in Tokyo for years, Ren has never managed to actually visit the amusement park — or any other tourist attractions either, if he is being honest — so he wants to soak it all in (and with what better way than with friends and your significant other?)

The ride suddenly lurches forward and Ruki lets out a sharp gasp.

He wasn’t afraid of coasters, no, but maybe he doesn’t like the idea of heights. And this was a pretty tall ride, but with the way everyone else was excited, he got lost in the feeling and didn’t even glance up at the coaster. Now, sitting in the car with the safety bar over him, he can finally look at what is to be expected and he doesn’t like it one bit.

He’s swearing over and over inside his head, eyes glancing around the car and not at the structure around him. Junki noticed his jittery nature, placing a hand on top of Ruki’s white-knuckled one, clenching the bar over him in a death grip. He can only feel a small sense of reassurance and safety from the younger, hoping that the ride would be over soon. 

It definitely doesn’t help him when he lets out a small cry, the sound carrying through the wind and into the attentive ears of Yonashiro Sho behind him. His eyes go wide at the distress and all he can do is just sit and listen, watching the younger’s shoulders tremble and convincing himself that it’s the bumpiness of the ride and not how scared he was.

The acceleration is throwing them around with every tight loop and curved drop, an invisible force pushing each boy against the one they’re paired with tighter than (most) would have liked. Stomachs drop at the twists and turns, going upside down and in all other sorts of directions that coaster was taking them in.

Sukai thinks that Syoya cannot get even more annoying, but then the older starts to scream once the ride takes off down the first steep slope and he wants to absolutely die. It’s ringing loud and clear in his head by the time the ride ends, only wanting to beat up the older a little bit more than necessary.

They all scramble off the ride in haste, besides the one couple that actually wants to be together. They’re laughing, faces red and are oblivious to the tension of the housemates until they all meet back up in front of the ride and see the solemn faces. It’s awkward, and now the pink-haired boy understands Junki. 

“W-what about another ride? Or the arcade?” Takumi proposes, hoping someone else would suggest another idea that they all would like and hopefully not kill each other over.

Keigo’s the first one to chime in, opting for the arcade games. It reminds him of old times, and he smirks.

Takumi brightens up at the suggestion, quickly joining in on the idea. They all didn’t have to be in close quarters with one another, and it could be a good way to blow off steam with the competitive nature of the games. He nodded vigorously, earning laughter from the group at his cute action. 

They soon came across the old-fashioned arcade section of the park, stepping out from the sunlight into the artificial one. Inside are classic games of the pinball machine, old sports games, and coin-operated claw machines.

Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea though, as Keigo’s seething from getting beat at the multi-player game by a boy not much younger than he is. He’s a charming kid, laughing as they play the game while the blonde is concentrating very hard to win himself points but it’s just not working in his favor. Once the game concluded, bells ringing in his ears, the younger boy turned to the older and smiled in a puppy-like fashion. It was slightly apologetic, and he bowed his head slightly before thanking him for the game and stalking off with his friend after he collected his prize. 

Junki was watching from a distance, feeling amused and also happy that Keigo got a taste of his own medicine. His arms were crossed, just glancing around the inside of the arcade room at the other roommates.

Ren was stuck at the claw-machine, glued to the prongs as he tried to win Takumi a stuffed pokemon that looked _exactly_ like the younger. It wasn’t going so great, already the man down 1000 yen. Takumi’s leaning on his shoulder now, almost begging for him to give up and save his money but Ren couldn’t let that happen, not with the pout that’s on Takumi’s face that he knows will stay there the rest of the day if he doesn’t win it.

Junki chuckles after watching Ren for over ten minutes, until he finally manages to get the pokemon in the claw at just the right angle, dropping it into the box for receiving. It took 1500 yen, but Ren was satisfied by the boxy smile that Takumi gave him.

His eyes skim once more before it lands on Ruki babying the young university students. He’s trying to break up a mini fight between the two as they shoot skee ball, arguing over who won even though they both got the same exact score. He’s about to deem that it was just impossible for them to get along, with how stubborn the black-haired boy was and how he relied on his feelings just a little bit too much. 

Lastly, they land on the other almost-couple, Sho ruffling the younger boy’s hair as he’s still pouting over losing to the high schooler. He swears he will get revenge on that ‘Ryo’ if it’s the last thing he does, hearing the name come out of his friends mouth. His heart sinks at seeing the way the eldest comforted the younger, walking him over to another arcade game and so obviously letting him win.

Maybe Keigo was good at video games, but he surely sucked at anything physical. 

It’s an hour since they’ve been playing, and by the time they’re done their fingers are numb and their eyes are exhausted. Junk smirks at the lot of them, knowing that he’s won this round because he barely played; just sat around and watched in fondness of his new friends.

So he is very excited as he drags the group over to the pirate ship, one of his favorite rides of all time. It’s calming enough for the others to get back into the high paced amusement park, letting them rest for a little, but also gives them some sort of thrill at the same time. He’s grinning from ear to ear, smile outshining the sun as he leads the group to the towering ride.

Junki’s sat all the way at the top, never holding onto the bar in front of him as he hoots and hollers. Takumi and Ren were in the seat right in front of him, the younger hiding under the dancer’s arm as he’d much rather be near the middle but it’s not like he could refuse the older. Syoya was sat at the opposite end of Junki, back pressed against the bow of the ship as he copies Junki’s gestures and expressions the whole ride, always on the same wavelength as the older. Keigo’s right beside him, though a little more hesitant with taking his hands off the safety bar. Sukai sits in the middle, only on the side of Syoya’s because he really didn’t want to see his face for more than he had to. It was really starting to irritate the younger, the quickly changing difference in attitudes.

The only two who weren’t on the ride was Ruki, preferring to stay on the ground with the various Christmas decorations he can look at to calm himself, with a Sho right beside him to keep the other company and make sure someone doesn’t take him.

It’s the first time that the two have been this close to each other since Ruki moved in. He’s been avoiding the older for the better part of the two weeks, willing his returned feelings down in the pit of his heart, just to discover that it wasn’t so bottomless after all. In fact it was more like a trampoline; every time Ruki shoved his feelings deep down inside, they just ricochet and come bouncing right back up, stuck in the throat and making him choke on nothing.

“Ruki,” Sho’s voice was soft, gentle, and Ruki wouldn’t have heard it if he wasn’t so focused on Sho’s presence right besides him as he stared at the pirate ship in motion. Sho knows he shouldn’t, but the honorifics drop like flies, as if he’s back in high school and madly in love.

There was no ignoring him now.

Ruki’s head turned towards the older, and Sho thinks he’s found his prince charming. His hair swung in just the right way, coming back to frame his face softly. Sho’s itching to reach out and touch the younger again, but it would be pretty dumb to do so he forces his hand to stay by his side.

Ruki hums, wondering why the older man said his name. Since that first night, he knows that the olders eyes have been on him. He’s not stupid. It makes Ruki question everything about their relationship, and about even coming to the house.

“I’m sorry,” and Sho puts everything into that short sentence, turning to face him fully. There’s no doubt some eyes from the ride are on the two now, but there’s like a bubble around the males on the ground that they think they’re invisible in. 

“What are you sorry for? If you’re referring to six years ago, you’re the one who broke up with me, remember? And it was a long time ago anyways, let it go,” Ruki’s smile is strained. He doesn’t know why the older was somewhat pining after him, not doing anything physical but just the staring was keeping the brown-haired male on edge. 

“But, it was mutual . . . right?” 

Sho’s ashamed to admit his grades were piss poor in his first semester, never knowing the feeling of being away from his boyfriend before. He’s agitated and depressed and couldn’t keep the younger off his mind no matter what he tried. They tried to talk every day, but even with that communication Sho couldn’t get his head into his school work. 

That’s why he broke up with Ruki over winter break, knowing that the older had already gotten into and accepted the college of his dreams — in Tokyo. He thought it was best for the both of them. Being older, it was his responsibility to make decisions, and he put both of their interests at heart; he didn’t want to ruin either’s personal life of holding back, nor their studies. He could only imagine what Ruki’s course load would be like. If Sho’s struggling right now just taking his general education courses and lowly English classes, he couldn’t even imagine what Ruki would be up against with his rigorous coursework. 

It hurt Ruki to his core that Sho thinks the relationship would hinder them in any way. He wanted to fight for their relationship, kicking and screaming but he knew the older wouldn’t let up so he didn't. It would have strained their relationship even more, possibly forever making them hate one another. It’s safe to say that he didn’t get a New Year’s kiss that year.

“I never wanted to break up with you, Sho,” _But I could tell that’s what you wanted,_ Ruki wanted to continue. He wanted to let the older know that he knew about his grades, know the stress he was putting on himself and honestly Ruki cried almost every night knowing that the tired strain lacking the older’s voice was because of him. 

Sho’s throat clogged tight at the new information. He couldn’t say anything more, though, as the world came back to him in waves, screams from Junki dumping on him as the ride came to a stop. 

Ruki steps back shyly as the others come, Keigo jumping onto Sho and complaining that he didn’t ride with him. And just like that they’re back to the original dynamics, with something so uncomfortably comfortable, now a new normal.

“I think food is next, yeah? I’ve been the chilled Udon, it even comes with a cute little baymax toy!” Ren’s gauging the atmosphere, thoughts aligning with Junki’s from a couple of nights ago. He’s pulling his boyfriend along, hands laced together and tightening in a way that he knows they’ll never seperate.

After being with the group for a couple of hours, it’s true what Junki said about the new roommates. They’re in one hell of a predicament and Ren is somewhat glad that they got out while they could. It’s sensitive and strained and so opposite of the bubbly feeling from before that Ren doesn’t understand how the atmosphere changed so quickly with still having four of the original members in the house still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry there wasn't much renkumi in this chapter i kind of just wing it as i go along so nothing is guaranteed except for the over all (and i mean broad overall) plot
> 
> as i’m writing this i was at first basing it off of japanese education but now it’s turned into my own education system i.e. i start school in late august/early september, take a break for a month in late december/early january, go back in late january and get out in early may. though it is kinda convenient that i saw for one school in japan, they get i think a week off, over new years, so i'm just going with that.


	25. Episode 25. "The Happiest Place on Earth Pt 2."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keshi - i swear i'll see you again

The eight boys are at the food court, all sitting at one of the long rectangle tables.

Ren’s content with his udon, meanwhile everyone else is getting either rich sweets or a small lunch set. With food setting heavy in their stomachs and sugar on their tongues, everyone else seems just as content as Ren was. 

Takumi’s insisted on going on one of the kiddie rides, and the olders tease him because _he’s just the right size for it too._ It makes the pink-haired boy pout, and Ren buries the younger’s head in his chest, shooting half-hearted threats at his friends. The dancer lifts the boy’s face in both his hands, promising him that he can go on whatever ride he wants. It makes Takumi’s face brighten and Ren just wants to kiss him but then that would mean that he wouldn’t be able to see his smile, so he opts for a temple kiss, right on Takumi's mole that was his favorite.

Takumi giggles, swiping at the older before Ren grabs his hands from further assault. They walk away from the food court with the others, hand in hand as they come across one of the tea cup rides.

It was Alice in Wonderland themed, each of the spinning rides decked out like actual teacups with various patterns and colors that perfectly matched Takumi’s bright pink hair — he’s since re-dyed it. Him and Ren clamor onto one of the over sized teacups, feeling child-like inside them. 

Takumi’s drumming his fingers on the wheel in front of him, evil thoughts going on inside his head as he knows he’ll spin the teacup much too fast for Ren’s liking. He reasons that it’s payback for the pirate ride, where he clung onto the older for dear life, squeezing just a little bit more when the ship reached its peak height with every swing and he felt like he was going to lurch forward and out of the ride.

Syoya decides to go on the ride as well, dragging Junki and Ruki into one cup while the last three are less than excited to share another. Not because they don’t like each other, but they’ve just never liked the spinning, kiddie rides in general.

It starts and Takumi is spinning, spinning, spinning with all his might and Ren’s going cross eyed from the motion. His stomach is sinking, throat caving in and maybe he’s going to throw up but then that would ruin the ride and Takumi would never want to kiss him again. So he braces himself on the side of the cup, eyes trained only on Takumi as he’s the only thing not blurring around him.

The boys can hear various laughter from all around them, coming from different children (including Takumi) and also from the parents of the kids outside of the ride, grinning at their happy kids. 

When the ride was over, everyone’s stumbling and tripping over their feet. 

Syoya’s probably has it worse, though, as he can barely keep himself standing up right. He’s weak, even more irritated that the roommates he were with seemed to be fine within minutes after exiting the ride at the same time. Maybe he shouldn’t have agreed to go on the spinning teacup of death immediately after eating his caramel ice cream, topped with nuts and with a heavy set churro stick that's sitting dense at the bottom of his stomach.

Okay, so he definitely shouldn’t have agreed to go on the spinning teacup of death because now his ice cream and churro are covering Sukai’s shoes and the younger is looking at him with such outrage and betrayal, the older knows that he is _so dead._

Syoya cursed, swearing adamantly that he was aiming for the bushes that were right just outside of the ride but then Sukai stepped into his line and he just couldn’t hold it in anymore to try to go around him. Even if he didn’t like the younger much, just knowing he ruined his shoes like that made him stay crouched on the ground, refusing to look him in the eye. It was a bad taste in his mouth — and not just due to the vomit — and Syoya was feeling somewhat bad.

It went away quickly though, as the younger’s blood boiled and his hotheadedness spilled out of his foaming mouth.

Syoya’s like a kicked puppy on the ground, head still spinning and his eyes are closed so tight to keep the swimming dark spots in his vision at bay. The shouting words from Sukai doesn’t help one bit, and he thinks he deserves it, seeing the liquid and chunks mix on the younger’s sneakers.

Sho is the first to jump into action, hands across the younger’s chest as he pushes back with force, keeping Sukai at a distance from the black-haired male still crouching over. Sho knows he’s stronger, but with the rage of the younger it’s almost like he just dead lifted Sho’s own weight and could beat him at any fight. It’s a struggle to keep the younger at bay, and Keigo has to come and help him calm the other university student down.

Ruki’s quick to crouch down along with Syoya, rubbing small circles into his back as the younger coughs. An employee hurries over with water, watching the whole scene unfold and feeling sorry for the whole group. 

It’s a shame that the youngest ended up with Disney-themed flip flops for the rest of the day, as those were the only pair of shoes the amusement park offered.

Syoya’s trailing the back of the group now, holding his stomach as he leans on Ruki. 

It’s the early afternoon, and Syoya insisted that everyone stay because there was still so much to do that they haven’t gotten done yet. 

Syoya feels like he’s about to throw up again when he asks Ruki to get him another water bottle, leaning heavily on a railing nearby. The older man goes on the hunt, and Syoya’s too dizzy and his emotions are too distraught for him to even think about telling the rest of the group they’ve stopped. Ruki must have forgotten as well, considering he just dashed off, hoping to find the water and come back before someone else’s shoes were covered in ice cream and churros again.

It’s a couple of minutes before Sho figures out that the other two were nowhere to be seen. 

And he’s panicking now, chest tightening as he spins in circles and yells out their names. 

_This wasn’t supposed to happen. This was supposed to be a good day._

Sho is swearing, sweat dripping profusely down his neck and into the collar of his shirt despite the chill temperature outside in mid-November. His eyes are searching for brown and black, both a little too pale, and he doesn’t even feel when Junki places an arm on him until he’s shaking due to the younger grabbing him. 

“What?”

Sho didn’t mean at snap.

“We’re going to find them. Calm down,” Junki mimics taking deep breaths, encouraging the eldest to do the follow suit.

All that’s going through Sho’s mind is Ruki, Ruki, _Ruki._

His hands are entangled in his hair, and he doesn’t even notice the blonde next to him, trying to get the older to look him in the eyes and calm down. But he can’t calm down, not when he has to take care of the younger boys, losing a man he’s loved for years and another, a student under his wing who’s also sick from spinning way too many times.

“Maybe we should go looking for them?” Takumi suggests, looking around frantically too. 

“No! We need to stay together. They could be looking for us, too, so isn’t it better to wait for them? Right?” Sho’s confused and not thinking straight and he absolutely hates this idea of losing his friends in such a large park. He only hopes that the boys were with each other. 

Syoya’s gripping the rail now, eyes hazy as he realizes just what happened. Ruki’s not back yet, but he wants to find the group more and knows that Ruki could easily find him with his great sense of direction. So he’s pulling himself along the railing at a snail’s pace, and Ruki comes back to find him moved only five feet away.

“Syoya, here’s your water. What are you doing?” He grabs onto the younger’s wrist, stopping him in his tracks. Syoya stands up more, looking around for something, someone. That’s when Ruki looks around too, noticing they’ve separated from the group.

“Oh, god,” Ruki shakes his head, frustrated at his actions, “c’mon, do you have anyone’s number?”

Ah, Ruki. The man of reason and logical sense.

Syoya unlocks his phone and hands it to him, gulping down the water fast. Ruki wonders who he should call, and his finger slides down almost automatically to the contact _Yonashiro Sho._ It’s still the same number; Ruki’s memorized it.

“Hello? Syoya, where are you?” Sho picked up on the first ring, smacking himself upside the head for not thinking about this earlier. His voice is panicky, and his insides gets even more twisted when he hears not the younger one's voice, the other university student’s.

“Hey, Sho. Um . . . we’re in front of the carousel. How far away are you, we’ll com-”

But Ruki doesn’t finish his sentence when Sho stumbles over his words telling the other boys to stay put, briskly walking away with the others trailing behind.

He arrived in no time, engulfing Syoya in a tight hug and reprimanding the two. He’s facing Ruki now, face pained and he’s itching to reach out so much that he just has to, otherwise he thinks he might burst into flames.

The contact is electric. It’s been so long since Sho has hugged the brown-haired male and feeling him in his arms, safe and sound is just what Sho needed right now; what he’s always needed. The smell of Ruki wafted around Sho like a blanket, and he pulled the younger impossibly closer. Ruki’s head is buried in the older male’s shoulder and he’s just giving in. He’s giving into his heart, into the older, and into hopes that something will come out of this because although it’s just a hug, it was purely magical. Maybe Sho cried a little, but he’ll always deny it.

And when the rest of the group catches up to the fast paced Sho, everyone could see what was going on. There’s no denying the chemistry in the simple hug. 

Sure, they knew the older men knew each other, and sure Junki knew what their previous relationship was, but it’s so obvious to everyone else who _didn’t_ know. And Keigo’s a little sad — okay a lot sad — about the turn of events but who was he to deny the true love right before his eyes? Sometimes he wished that Ruki never came to the house, but with so much love in that one hug was all the boy ever wished for for himself. And he's happy that the older could experience a love like that.

The group gathers again, hearts racing erratically and short-live accusations flying around. 

They continue on with their tour of the park, stopping every now and again with no irritation as Ruki’s eyes shine at the new decorations before him. He’s humming along with the holiday tunes as they play over the speakers, lips quirking as he imagines some of the decorations in his own home one day. He takes pictures just in case.

It’s the late afternoon now, the sun starting to set early in the mid-fall season. The sky around them gets dimmer, but the Christmas lights illuminate the whole park and they just stand in awe as they’re all witnessing each string of lights turn on, one by one. 

Takumi’s on Ren’s back now, complaining earlier from walking too much. With the added height, he can see even more the park and gasps aloud, pointing to a point where no one else can see. It makes the pink-haired boy laugh, apologizing as he forgot about everyone else. 

Ren’s about to put him down but the younger squirms, tapping the dancer’s arm in a way that’s telling him to not to. Takumi’s hands bury themselves in Ren’s hair and the older is in heaven; a trick Takumi has learned and has used on multiple occasions to get his way. It’s the easiest ploy against the grey-haired male, and Ren compiles every time without even realizing.

One of the last rides the group went into was the hall of mirrors. Although it’s not technically a ride, they all enjoyed it just as much as if they were on a roller coaster; all except for one.

Some rooms at the beginning were bright; way too bright, given the light bouncing off of each mirror and filling every single inch of space. It gave Junki a headache, making him slow down in the winding maze.

After a couple more rooms, the lights get dimmer and dimmer until it’s dark enough to where Junki can still see just enough to get around, but there’s a creepy vibe with being able to barely see his hand in front of him, vague shapes in the mirrors. It’s creepy and Junki’s always hated being alone in the darkness of the night. 

And he was alone.

Everyone else had bumped their ways into the mirrors until they found their way out, more easily than Junki who still had to go through two more hallways. He’s hyperventilating, hands reaching out only to feel the cold glass beneath his fingertips. 

It’s like he’s in a nightmare from when he was a kid, all alone in the dark with weird shapes coming at him from every angle, boxing — no caging — him inside. He feels sick, claustrophobic with no way out and most likely no jump scare going to come but Junki’s mind is going haywire with all the negative possibilities. Junki doesn’t know when he’s started crying, but he knows it’s happening when he tastes the familiar salt on his tongue and now he’s crying even harder, hands pounding on the glass. He’s scrambling on his feet, going this way and that, only to end up crashing into another glass wall and he has no rationale at this point to just keep one hand on the wall, walking alongside it to find his way out. 

It’s his worst nightmare coming to life.

Most of the other boys are all outside now, waiting for their last friends. It’s a long time now, and the others are getting worried. Sure, everyone has their own pace but they thought that the black-haired male was right behind them.

Keigo can see the light at the end of the hallway. He’s relieved, finally able to get out of the weird fun house until he hears the pain screams from coming behind him. It’s a sharp jab at his heart, and he doesn’t know who it is but he still turns around even when he’s at the exit, everyone else seeing him. It vaguely registered for him that there was one less black-haired male in the crowd before him as he navigated his body back into the hall of mirrors.

He hears Junki before he sees him, or rather feels him. His fingers reach out, brushing up against the older’s sweater and the older latches onto the contact, whimpering. It’s somewhat familiar, and-

“Junki?”

Junki cries at hearing the recognizable voice, fingers digging into the younger’s bicep. 

“Shh, I got you,” Keigo’s stomach drops, one arm winding around the other in a protective embrace the other absorbing the pain from Junki’s harsh grip. His voice is soft and velvety and Junki just wants to sink down into the floor with the blonde. He’s gasping for air, face pressed into the other’s shirt as his tears gather in one spot. 

Keigo brings the two out slowly and gently, caressing the older’s hair. They make it out within a few minutes, Junki’s eyes adjusting easily to the outside as it isn’t much lighter due to the setting sun. He realizes he’s clutching onto Keigo now, almost shoving him off as he wiped his tears violently. 

It’s embarrassing and he doesn’t want to speak with anyone.

“Guess it looks like we should be heading home soon, it’s getting late,” Sho reads the situation. There was a long ride back, and it seemed like everyone was too exhausted for another scare of a fun house, or the thrill of a roller coaster ride.

The housemates exchange hugs and gratitude with the ex housemates who initiated the trip, Junki’s hands trembling when he gets his hugs with Ren and Takumi. He doesn’t know if it’s because of leaving his best friends, the scare in the hall of mirrors, or because he was so close to Keigo and leaning gripping onto him like a lifeline. 

The official couple stay back, wanting to finish their night off together, alone. As the others stalk off, Ren grabs Takumi by the hip and pulls him in, much to the other’s surprise. A small gasp leaves his lips, hands swatting but eventually giving in from the chaste butterfly kisses littering his face.

Takumi’s still getting used to the PDA, face flushing as he looks away.

The boys are almost too obvious going straight for the ferris wheel. It’s the most romantic ride, and with the sun almost gone and nighttime overtaking the amusement park the boys couldn’t have agreed more to such a perfect ending. Their hands are interlocked as they walk towards the tallest ride, eyes glittering underneath the pretty strings of lights. 

Takumi’s jittery, waiting in line. It’s his first ever time on the wheel, and being with someone he cares so much for it’s making his chest about to explode.

He knows the stories. The stories of first kisses, or confessions, of everything that has to do with romance somehow always goes down when they reach the top. He wonders if something will happen tonight, and just glancing over at makes an automatic smile grow on his face.

Once they’re at the beginning of the line, they clamor aboard their carriage, squeezing impossibly close next to each other. 

Takumi’s looking at the stars in the sky, while Ren is focused on the stars in his boyfriend’s eyes.

It feels like eternity before they reach the top, thumbs rubbing over backs of hands and heads resting on shoulders as they just enjoy each other’s company. Ren’s poking the younger's side, eliciting his favorite sound in the world from the younger. He didn’t think it would happen tonight, but it’s an automatic response to the sound as he says-

“I love you.”

And Takumi’s perking up, head almost knocking into Ren’s chin as he whips around at the sudden three words they’ve never said to each other before. There’s a ringing in his ears now, the words over and over again but it almost doesn’t register. And Ren’s worried, eyes wide until the younger finally, _finally_ , hears it loud and clear, jumping at the older as they reach the very top.

Their lips lock in a slow kiss, fingers trailing over jaws, ears, into hair. After they break apart, nearing the bottom of the wheel Takumi says it back, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear in a shy manner.

Takumi feels the park’s advertising is correct because this place is truly the happiest place on earth.

* * *

In the car with the six roommates, Syoya has swapped his original seat with Keigo.

Keigo didn’t want to be in the front, would much rather be in his original seat actually, but Syoya gets car sick more easily in the front so he had to move back. It was time to have a conversation with Sho anyway, the blonde reasons. Maybe it wasn’t the best time, but with everyone else knocked clean out instead of the ones in the front of the vehicle Keigo thinks it’s as good of a time as any. 

Keigo’s picking at his nails, wondering how he should bring it up. Sho senses it, he always does.

“What’s on your mind, Kei?” He’s given the nickname to the younger a while back, using it every now and again to reassure the younger that everything was okay. Keigo’s throat forms a lump at the word, and now he’s not sure if he can even speak.

Somehow he finds his voice, “earlier today . . . with Ruki,” he’s trailing now, not wanting to assume.  


Sho hums, almost disappointed. He didn’t want to seem obvious, knowing it could potentially break the younger and he didn’t want to leave him in ruins like he did with Ruki.

“I know there’s something between you two. Some sort of history because you both obviously knew each other from the past and you’re so stubborn for not telling anyone and keeping it bottled in, and it’s not my business but I just want you to be honest with me.”

He says it all in one breath, words stumbling out of his mouth at a rapid rate as he just can’t hold it in any longer, confusing the blonde. 

Sho makes a strained noise, hands gripping the steering wheel even tighter. He doesn’t comment.

“What I am saying is,” the blonde takes a deep breath, letting out an airy chuckle. He glances over at Sho’s profile, jaw clenched in anticipation. Keigo’s soaking in the last time he might see it.

“Go to him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think i've tortured you (and me) for long enough now


	26. Episode 26. "A Change of Pace"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crush ft. Garibay - Lay Your Head On Me

It’s a Monday morning and Syoya’s running all over the house, frantically throwing pillows around left and right, his hands sticking between cushions. But he just can’t find what he’s looking for. And it’s driving him absolutely nuts.

He lost his flash drive that had all of this year’s university assignments on it, even some from his previous years' work that he’s saved to help him in his future endeavors. It was most definitely one of the more valuable items he had, and he can’t believe he just lost it as if it was nothing. 

_God, I’m so stupid. Kimata Syoya you are completely and eternally fucked. God is laughing at me right now and I am the dumbest of dumbs. If you looked up the word dumb in the dictionary you would see my face there for sure._ Syoya’s thoughts are running around erratically, nonstop as half of his thesis was already typed and moved onto that flash drive. He was supposed to meet with his advisor to show him later this week, but with the tiny flash drive nowhere to be seen it looks like that won’t be happening.

God, that would be such a bad impression. He swears he’s a good student.

It’s a national holiday in Japan, Labor Thanksgiving Day, and all universities are closed for the day. He’s one of the few roommates home, everyone else is still going to work and the graduate student is meeting up with some of his friends for the day. This means that he’s left to search the vast house alone, since he wouldn’t be going near Sukai’s room anytime soon, if at all. It’s petty, their arguments he knows but he can’t help himself now that it’s gone on for so long.

Maybe tears of frustration are coming out of his eyes now as it’s been almost an hour now and he still hasn’t found the tiny stick. He silently prays, thanking anyone as he would have completely forgotten to go to his lectures by now. But even if he did attend he wouldn’t have been able to concentrate. 

Syoya can be a little bit of an overachiever at some times, so he’s been thinking about what he’s been wanting to write for his thesis since his junior year. Now that he's actually writing it, the words were easily coming to him but he doesn’t think he can recreate the meaning with the same exact words. With over twenty pages down, there’s no way he could memorize all of the words already typed up. His chest tightens more and more as the minutes tick by that he doesn’t find the precious flash drive.

_I’m so fucked._

He pulls at his hair in frustration, running his hands through his way-too-long bangs that are always in his eyes now. 

His room was a mess as he turned it upside down; the first place he looked. His comforter was thrown to the floor, forgotten as he searched his bed wondering if it fell out when he was up late at night, inspiration coming to him as he wrote up a whole four pages in one sitting. Next was his dresser, hands frantically searching under picture frames and behind random articles of clothing that he’s put on there in haste and hasn’t found the time to put away yet. It makes his room even more of a mess. His backpack was last, though he’s searched that three times already and he still comes up short every time. 

He looked around the kitchen, where his laptop was currently sitting on the kitchen island. He lifted up cups and towels and random bags on the counters but the tiny little device was nowhere to be seen. Next was the playroom, but it wasn’t underneath all the blankets or the pillows, and certainly wasn’t accidently thrown into the box holding all the boys’ videogames. 

Where could it be?

Syoya was growing more and more anxious, heart leaping up into his throat when his hands turned up empty. The whole house is trashed, and he flops onto the couch in the living room with a groan. After hours of searching, and still no one else is home and he’s about to give up. 

He really doesn’t want to, hates when the thought pops in his head. But his thesis is much more important that the petty fights he’s had with the younger. So Syoya sighs in defeat, picking himself up and dragging his feet up the stairs and in front of the younger’s bedroom door. 

_It’s for your thesis. Nothing more._

Syoya brings his hand to knock on the door, a little harder than expected but Syoya doesn’t care. There’s no answer, but the older is positive Sukai is in his room. He hasn’t seen him all day, and Syoya was awake when everyone else left; oblivious to his loss of the flash drive in the early morning until everyone already left. 

Syoya clicks his tongue, knocking a second time, just a little bit harder. Syoya’s practically forcing his hand to knock, still upset at the younger’s actions and inability to communicate and wonders why he’s even at his door in the first place when they’re not friends. Sukai would never help him. But the black-haired male can’t wait another second, wasting precious time when he could be writing more on his thesis today when he has the day off, so he barged into the younger’s room without warning.

The harsh words that were on the tip of his tongue disappear once he steps inside. It’s dark, so dark with the shades drawn and Syoya can barely see his hand in front of his face save for the little bit of sunlight peeking from underneath the curtains. He sighs heavily at the room, wandering around blindly until he bumps into the younger’s bed. He’s about to yell at him, shake him awake — why is he asleep at noon? — when he hears a violent cough that Syoya just knows is hurting the younger’s lungs.

It makes him stop in his tracks, as if he’s the one feeling the pain as well. He was startled by the younger’s brutal cough, but quickly recovered. 

Sukai’s sick, somehow catching some sort of stomach bug over the past week. His fever started the night before, not joining the rest of the housemates for dinner. He stayed coped up in his room trying to sleep it off but when he woke up it was worse, way worse than he imagined. He’s sweating profusely but doesn’t have the energy to change his clothes so he lays in bed, throwing off the covers and then pulling them back on when his body goes through drastic temperature changes due to the sickness.

“S-Sukai?” Syoya’s voice goes impossibly soft. The younger didn’t know he had it in him, or at least having it in him to show it to the other undergrad student. 

Sukai doesn’t answer as another cough rattles his chest. It’s weaker this time, but Sukai is still gasping for air afterwards. The blankets are pulled up impossibly close under his chin and he pulls them up further over his face as Syoya comes further into the room. 

“Sukai-kun, are you sick?”

_What do you think, dumbass?_

His voice isn’t working, but the violent shutter that follows a cold chill coming up his spine is enough to give Syoya his answer. Sukai sneezes. It’s loud and obnoxious but Syoya can’t leave the other student feeling like that all along in his room, no matter how much he dislikes the younger. 

“How long have you been here? I-I’ll go get you some medicine, one second,” Syoya was about to reach out and stroke the younger’s hair, a habit he’s learned from his mother that she did whenever her son was sick. He retracts his hand quickly though, hurrying across the hall when another cough explodes from the younger. 

They kept all of the medicine in a cabinet above the sink, right behind the mirror. He’s quick to grab the daytime medicine, and feels for the boy when he realizes the only one they had was the cherry flavored liquid. He thinks it’s the worst flavor of them all, orange being close second. Syoya’s entering the younger’s room now, leaving the door open for light from the hallway to illuminate the room enough for the older to see but dim enough that it doesn’t make Sukai’s headache worsen. Now that Syoya can actually see, he walks quicker towards the younger, setting the medicine and water bottle he grabbed on the bedside table.

Sukai doesn’t move.

“Sukai-kun, you’re sick. Come on, drink this. You’ll feel better,” Syoya’s voice is encouraging, soft as he crouches down in front of the younger. Sukai wants to snort, eyes glancing lazily over to the medicine and vaguely registering it. _He got me the worst flavor._

An involuntary groan escapes the younger’s mouth, sounding in deep pain when another chilling runs down his spine and hits all the nerves in just the wrong way. Syoya tsks, tongue clicking once again as his hand reaches out to feel the younger’s temperature on his forehead. It’s too hot to be anywhere near normal. He’s mumbling now, wondering how the younger let it get this bad.

All of his bad feelings left his body the instant the younger whined, eyes clenching shut when another cough came out. He can’t be mad at that. Sukai is gasping weakly now, breath short and Syoya remembers when he used to get sick like this when he was a little boy. Sukai is now just a little boy in Syoya’s eyes, and all he wants to do is care for the younger and make him all better. It would be immoral of him not to, right?

“Sukai-kun, you have to sit up to drink this,” Syoya’s on his knees now, brushing the damp hair out of the younger’s eyes. Sukai’s eyes are still closed, and he hates to admit that he leaned into the touch just a little bit too much. Syoya’s still encouraging, but he’s letting the younger take his time to make the decision.

“P-please,” Sukai wants to reach out, but he’s just so cold he doesn’t want to leave his blankets. His voice is raspy and he hates how weak he sounds. 

Syoya’s eyes are soothing, their eyes connecting as Sukai’s coming just a tad more conscious of the situation in front of him. His heartbeat is loud and clear in his ear, drowning out other sounds and voices of reason. 

Syoya helps the younger sit up. It takes a few minutes, Sukai whimpering at every little movement. His bones are cold, so cold, making the rest of his body stiff and in so much pain. Eventually he’s sitting up just enough to where he can drink the medicine and not choke on it. Syoya stuffs pillows underneath the boy, pulling the blanket back up as Sukai’s motioning with grabby hands.

The older measures the medicine in the measuring cup it comes with, giving just a tad more so that maybe Sukai would get better quicker and he won’t feel as bad when he reprimands the younger for getting so sick without telling anyone. 

“You’re not gonna like it, but it’s all we had,” Syoya whispers, gently lifting the cup to the younger’s mouth, easing it down. It’s much too slow for Sukai, the flavor staying in his mouth for way longer than he ever wanted but if Syoya were to pour faster it would definitely not go down his throat, instead ending up over his sheets. Sukai’s coughing after the medicine is in his stomach; he’s coughing at the absurdly powerful flavor, at the way his throat is slightly soothed by the liquid, and the way his eyes are stinging at every heightened sense. 

Syoya’s face drops, quickly reaching over for the bottle of water and uncapping it. His eyes are trained on the younger as he pours this liquid in his mouth too, eyes trailing the beads of sweat and trembling lips.

It’s a caring action, one hand pressed against the back of Sukai’s head as he helps the slightly younger boy take a sip. He’s leaning closer than either of them would have let just days before, but neither cared as Sukai’s feeling absolutely awful and Syoya loves to care for others.

Sukai’s coughing reminds him of when he caught the flu when he turned ten. Syoya was out of school for weeks, his young body shivering one minute and sweating the next. Just looking at the younger now, all the memories are coming back to him. All Syoya wanted was to have someone by his side, to help ease the pain. And that’s what Syoya was doing now.

He pats the younger’s head as he manages to get a quarter of the water down, before moving his head away in as quick of a motion as he could. The taste is still in his mouth, and he decided to keep it open for as long as he can and not swallow to keep the flavor away.

Sukai’s trying to move now, to make everything seem normal and Syoya’s not letting him. He’s pushing the younger back into his bed, tucking him in firmly when he sees yet again another violent shake coursing through his body.

“You can’t do anything when you feel like this, Sukai. I pronounce you bedridden!” He tries to joke, plastering on a small smile to hopefully bring up the spirits of the younger. Sukai doesn’t smile, instead huffing. His head had cleared up slightly, vision coming back to normal. But he doesn’t have the strength to get mad at the older now, eyelids heavy as he looks up at the way too bright smile. It hurts his eyes, and he can still see the imprint when he closes them.

“Alright, buddy. I’ll be back later, yeah?” Syoya’s runs a hand over the younger’s head, about to head out when Sukai moves in such a way that makes the older stop in his tracks. He’s pressing his head into his hand now. It is reminding him so much of when young Syoya did that when his mother ran her fingers through his hair when he was sick. It’s nostalgic, and he remembers the way it felt so good, comforting.

So Syoya hangs back at the light touch on his wrist, and he rethreads his fingers through the brown hair. He takes a seat on the bed besides the younger, slowly lulling him into a peaceful sleep and Syoya wonders if he even got a wink of sleep last night. 

The older doesn’t know how long he sits there for, hand slowly going through the younger’s hair, but he knows it’s been a long time. He doesn’t mind though; it’s enough to know that he was able to let the younger sleep in peace and leave his aching body for a little while.

He chuckles at the soft lines of Sukai’s face. While he was also void of expression, harsh lines sculpted his face rather than smooth ones. He thinks this is the first time he’s seen Sukai be relaxed.

It wasn’t awkward for Syoya to be here with the younger, despite their feud. In fact, it’s completely gone out the window, seemingly for both as how quickly the younger gave into the comfort and caring nature of the older. He’s happy to hear the soft little snores coming from the younger, his breath evening out and not being sharp gasps from earlier. He sighs in relief, trailing his hand the younger’s face slowly until it’s back by his side. And he just stares, mesmerized by the difference is features. 

It’s a couple of hours before Sukai wakes up again, and Syoya is still there, sitting on his bed. 

“Hey there, Sleeping Beauty,” the older giggles quietly, a hand returning to his previous actions, “are you feeling better?”

Sukai mumbles incoherently, but the tone is light and Syoya takes it as a yes. He wiggles his head into Syoya’s hand, eyes closing again as his breaths even out again. But he isn’t sleeping this time, just enjoying being tended to.

He’s never felt this before, his parents always busy with something or other. It was nice to feel some sort of comfort, even if it came from someone he’s despised since up till now. It’s a brief thought as he wonders why Syoya is taking such good care of him, but he doesn’t question it further when another cough rattles his chest and a sneeze is blown into his pillow.

Syoya sighs, pulling the blankets up further as Sukai whines lightly, eyes watching Syoya’s every movement. His heart is still beating fast, seemingly faster than before and it’s making everything else quicken in pace and he just doesn’t know why. 

He’s muttering about his sickness and medicine and how Sukai is too stubborn sometimes. Sukai manages to have his infamous smirk on his face, and Syoya just wants to wipe it right off because the younger is immensely sick and should not be feeling anything close to normal. But it warms his heart at the same time, seeing the old Sukai and knowing that he is somewhat coming around to feeling like his old self again.

It’s an automatic response now, fingers weaving into the brown hair to make him feel secure. 

It’s much more appealing and less work to be nice to each other, rather than hate each other, Syoya thinks. 

He smiles lightly, fingernails grazing the younger’s scalp that makes another chill run up his spine, but this time it’s the good kind. An involuntary mewl comes out of his mouth, and he would be embarrassed save for his mixed up thoughts and mind only wanting something that makes him feel good. Syoya giggles, running his fingernails through again and eyes softening at the younger’s response.

And as he tucks the younger back in, realizing he’s quick to fall asleep again, Syoya’s completely forgotten about the flash drive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i'm out of ideas now sooo


	27. Episode 27. "Puzzle Pieces"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dvsn - think about me

It’s been a couple of days since Keigo had told the older to talk with Ruki, but he just can’t bring himself to. It’s childish, he knows just as much, but his thoughts are giving him a headache and he’s too scared of the younger’s possible rejection.

He could tell by the blonde smile that it was strained, laced with sadness and Sho absolutely _hates_ that he could be the cause of it. It would be disrespectful of Sho to just go off with Ruki right after the “break up” with Keigo. Besides, he doesn’t even know if the younger wanted to talk, much less get back together.

He can practically hear the commentators’ screaming at the boys, joking about how stupid they are and if only the roommates could see and hear what they did. But alas, their perspective was one dimensional and it was eating Sho up inside, not knowing what anyone else was thinking. 

One night Keigo draws the eldest away after dinner, climbing up the winding stairs and into the playroom. 

Sho is about to speak but he stops short at the disappointed expression on the blonde’s face. Keigo’s completely frustrated because he told Sho to talk to the younger, clearly knowing something was going on and yet the older was still not opening up to him. It hurt, knowing that they had gone through so much, growing closer and telling each other little secrets, that Sho couldn’t trust the blonde enough with this one. But it’s been days since Keigo’s talk with him in the car, and it’s time to make Sho spill the truth; something, anything so Keigo could help the older (and himself) have some peace of mind. 

“You’re a piece of work, Yonashiro Sho, you know that?” Keigo grumbles, giving the older a once over before seating himself in a corner. 

The older sighs heavily, letting his head fall back before he too drops down onto the cushion floor, seating opposite Keigo. It was a scary situation to be in, and Sho didn’t know what to expect when Keigo asked (more liked dragged, not giving the other an option) him to meet up with him after dinner. He was expecting the younger to lash out, probably screaming with hands flying every which way and Sho didn’t know if he could handle the confrontation. 

But Keigo does not last out. He does not scream or throw his hands in every direction.

Instead, he was sitting calmly, waiting for Sho to sit down and have a rational, adult conversation. He’s more than displeased, yes. There is still quite some tension going on in the house, but with Keigo and Sho acting less coupley (practically announcing it to everyone that their relationship was a no go without actually mentioning the words) the air became more breathable.

“Keigo,” Sho drew out his name quietly, picking at a thread on his sweatshirt. The older’s mind was swimming with all different types of possibilities, just waiting for the attack to come. He really hated confrontation.

Instead Keigo chuckled, snorting at the older’s odd behavior. His bug-like eyes made him look rather insecure, and Keigo’s heart dropped at that but he had to charge forward and ask those hard hitting questions he’s dying to know.

“Why haven’t you talked to Ruki-kun yet?” The blonde asked, eyes trained on the older. He’s assertive now, much too calm and too collected and it’s making the older uneasy as he hears the question.

Sho sighs in distress. Just hearing the younger’s name makes his heart leap into his throat and he realizes he’s in too deep. 

“I-” Sho begins, but he doesn’t even know what he wants to say. Keigo’s looking at him expectantly and Sho adverts his eyes, face red hot. Keigo deserves to know. He deserves to know everything and it makes his heart ache, throat clogging up and he just can’t get the words out that he so badly should be. Sho whines, mind racing for a quick response that would get the younger off his back for just a little while longer. 

But he goes with the recent question on his mind, eyes locking with the younger, “but wouldn’t that make you uncomfortable? Seeing me with someone else, after just ending this-this . . . this _thing_ we had going on?”

“Sho-kun, I just want you to be happy,” the blonde chuckles. Keigo wasn’t expecting that response, but what with the way the older’s eyebrows were always furrowed in thought he didn’t expect much else. He must have been thinking about the situation for some time, mulling over rights and wrongs and caring too much about other people’s feelings rather than his own. “I don’t know what’s going on with you two, but I can see it now. I’m sorry for always hanging on you when it should have been someone else.”

Sho’s wiping at his face now, eyes starting to sting at the younger’s words. It’s making so much sense now, and it hurts him inside that the younger is apologizing when it should be _him._

“No, no, I-” Sho licks his chapped lips, “I should tell you. It’s only right that you know.”

His smile is a sad one, and Sho bites his lips as he looks away from the younger again. Keigo takes in a deep breath, pulling his legs up to his chest as he waits for the older to start his story.

“Ruki moved to my hometown the summer I was going to be a senior. It’s uncommon for people to move where I lived, so everyone practically knew him from the moment he flew in,” Sho chuckles at the memory of the news spreading like wildfire. It definitely didn’t help that the young boy’s father held a high position in one of the more famous taxing companies in Japan. It would be a drive to work for Ruki’s father, but they thought that living closer to the countryside of the island would be better for the boy — which in the long run didn’t make sense as they were from the capital city, bringing Ruki out of his element.

“I met him in music class. We clicked almost instantly, and from then on it was just . . . Sho and Ruki,” the eldest laughed lightly. 

“Maybe you’re expecting this, but we started dating a month into the new school year. It was crazy, but I fell in love with his city boy accent and I never knew any different. I wasn’t looking for any sort of home commitment; it was my senior year in high school before I left for college after all. But . . . Ruki came waltzing into my life and I just couldn’t say no. I-I had to have him, you can’t just let someone like that walk away, I-'' With reminiscing on the later part of his high school career, following soon the year of college, Sho doesn’t want to think about it. But he pushes through, for his sake and for Keigo’s. His eyes lock with the younger and he feels strong now to continue with his story.

“Then I left for college. It was a long distance for a while, and I broke up with him over winter break. It was horrible. I was so horrible and I want to take it all back but I can’t,” Sho’s voice breaks in the middle of his sentence, Keigo swimming in his vision. A tear drops over his eyelid, hot and fast down his cheek. It’s a catalyst for the rest to follow suit.

Keigo knew something was going on, and he could only assume so much about the infatuation Sho had with Ruki. It makes so much more sense now to the blonde, the pieces falling together like tetris. 

He smiles at the older, shaking his head as if to say he’s not mad at all. There is nothing you can do about your feelings; who you fall for and when you fall for them. Life is full of mystery, and it’s just not Sho and Keigo’s time, not in this lifetime, and maybe not ever. It’s a learning lesson for the both of them, as Sho’s crying full on now and Keigo’s reached over to comfort the older.

They are simply just polar opposites. Yes, opposites do attract, but these boys were just too different to begin with. They fit like slightly unmatched puzzle pieces, so close and yet so far that it was frustrating. Shoving the pieces together to make them fit, and sometimes it seemed like they would but in the end they just _don’t._

“I know, I know,” the younger comforts, muttering soothing words in his ears. It was a tricky situation even to Keigo, but he knew from the look in Ruki’s eyes that he caught every now and again, there was something more that the older wasn’t letting on. And now that Keigo has learned about their past, he realizes exactly what it was. 

He looks at Sho like he was — _is _— in love.__

__There’s no mistaking it now, Keigo’s positive. He’s chuckling, thinking to himself how stupid his older friends were and that they just couldn’t see it. But if he pushed either of them too much, it would end badly and he didn’t want that to happen._ _

__Rather, Keigo smirks, “Sho, just go back to your boyfriend. My shoulder is no place for you, now.” he playfully pushes the older off, running his hand through his hair for the last time. Sho snorts at the words, wiping at his nose as he leans away from the younger._ _

__“Thank you for understanding. I’m truly sorry, Keigo, I didn’t know what to do. I still don’t,” Sho sniffs, hands reaching for the back of his neck. Now that he has the greenlight for Ruki, it’s like he can’t breathe. Will he ever get the courage to talk to him again, though?_ _

__“Just give me back my bear,” Keigo jokes lightheartedly, albeit serious at the same time. He was sure that Sho didn’t want to hear that bear laugh Keigo’s laugh again, and if Ruki and Sho were to end up back together the blonde knows that Ruki wouldn’t be happy with the bear’s backstory. The elder detects the playful tone in the other’s voice, but nonetheless agrees with him that he should give the bear back._ _

__“You should have it, give it to someone who you love and who truly loves you. It sucks that it’s not me, but I want you to know that it really helped me while it lasted. Really. So please, give it to someone else who it can help with their long nights too,” Sho smiled, a genuine one this time that wasn’t sad at all._ _

__A certain black-haired, energetic person pops into his head and his lips curl into a small smile as he knows exactly who he will give the bear to._ _

__“Now you’re going to go out there, you’re going to go downstairs, and you’re going to get your man, alright? This tension is suffocating me, and I swear, Yonashiro Sho, that if you are still one of the causes for it I will find you and I will beat you to a pulp, you hear me?” Sho nodded vigorously at the words, snorting with laughter. He needed the encouragement — badly — and it was a welcoming refresher to hear it coming from Keigo himself, mind becoming clearer._ _

__They hug it out one last time, stray tears dropping onto each other’s shoulders but they don’t say a word about it. They walk out of the playroom like that, Keigo going straight to his room while Sho walks downstairs, looking for a certain brown-haired graduate student._ _

__Sho has waited much too long for this moment, and while his conversation with Keigo was fresh in his mind and his heart was fired up, he grabbed the younger’s wrist and pulled them outside into the brisk air._ _

__“What, Sho-” Ruki couldn’t get the rest of his sentence out as they were already in the backyard, sliding door shut._ _

__“God damn it Ruki, what are you doing to me,” Sho whispers to himself, bringing a hand up to his forehead and rubbing at it harshly. And then he’s just staring at Ruki, and the younger is staring back, almost too afraid to move._ _

__“Is this . . . about with Keigo, just now?” It’s cautious, Ruki testing the waters before saying what he really wants to ask. Sho nods, biting his lower lip. Ruki can’t help but trail his eyes downwards to it._ _

__“I just want to clear up everything because- fuck, Ruki,” all the words that Sho wants to say all came to a stuttering stop at the tip of his tongue. He doesn’t know where to begin, where to apologize to the younger for anything and everything that he has ever done._ _

__“I think about you. All the time. Everywhere I look, everything I see, something reminds me of you. Of your smooth hair. Of your shining eyes. And at first it was annoying,” Sho huffs, taking a step closer to Ruki. The younger doesn’t understand, and it’s like a stab in the heart with the last sentence._ _

__“You’re on my mind so god damn much I can’t focus on anything else. From the minute you landed in Okinawa, you’ve been occupying my mind and you can’t let me breathe. It’s fucking suffocating, Ruki. And it doesn’t help one bit that I have to do it alone, where it can’t be relieved because I can’t see you. I can’t talk to you,” he continues, pouring out his heart and soul to the younger like it might be his last chance._ _

__“I just miss you. I miss you and some nights I wake up as if I’m still a teenager again and then reality comes crashing down when you're not there. It’s a lot, I know. I know I’m in too deep and maybe it’s a little crazy, but there’s no way out and I need you to know all of this.”_ _

__Just listening to Sho speak was breaking Ruki’s heart. He sounds like a kicked puppy and all Ruki wants to do is now nurse it back to health. But he’s frozen by the older’s words, stuck stupidly in his standing position in front of him and all he can do is just listen, absorbing his genuine thoughts._ _

__Sho takes another step closer._ _

__“I’m sorry, I am so so sorry about this whole backwards situation that you found me in, but I can’t deny those feelings for Keigo before you first walked in and I’m an idiot I know,” the words keep tumbling out and Sho can’t seem to make them stop, “but you’re always on my mind, so much so that it’s scary. It’s like comparing apples to oranges, but I always knew I liked apples just a little bit better.”_ _

__Sho’s whispering now, so close to Ruki that his breath is lightly fanning his face. Ruki can’t seem to look him in the eye, but it’s not showing his true emotions as the words are making his heart soar. It’s a miracle that Ruki doesn’t just up and float off with the rest of his heart._ _

__Hair gets brushed behind the ear. Ruki shivers, playing it off as the light breeze around them in the late November air but deep down he knows that it was the light finger touch coming from the older._ _

__Sho smirks at the action and Ruki just wants to die. He hates that he missed the smirk; missed everything about the older even though he broke his heart but Ruki doesn’t care. He’ll much rather risk having his heart broken again if he gets to be like this with Sho forever. But, as always, he has to go ruining things._ _

__“B-but, what about Keigo? I just need to know-”_ _

__And Sho kisses him to shut him up. He doesn’t want to hear the blonde’s name, not right now._ _

__And it’s electric. Fire is running through their veins, and it doesn’t matter if they’re outside where it could snow any minute because the body heat is warming them up. A cold breeze comes through once again, stronger this time and it pushes the boy closer together as they huddle for warmth._ _

__Sho is smirking into the kiss — the cheeky bastard — and Ruki just wants to wipe it off so he doesn’t have to feel teeth._ _

__“God, I’ve missed you,” Sho whispers against Ruki’s lips, still lightly touching them. Foreheads are touching and noses lightly brushing against one another. Now it’s the younger's turn to smirk, eyes still closed._ _

__“I know,” he’s teasing the older, slowly backing up as Sho is inching forward, not letting him close in on the second kiss. He doesn’t know if his heart can take another one, mind spinning making him dizzy. It sure doesn’t help one bit when Sho practically dips the younger, knowing the tactic all too well and grabbing the back of his head so he wouldn’t move away from the second kiss he’s planted._ _

__It’s soft and smooth and relaxing. When they pull apart, Ruki’s grin is so wide and Sho just stares._ _

__Then the first snowfall of the year came, and Ruki is looking like a giddy child in the night._ _

__With hands still clutched onto the older’s shoulders, he’s looking around them now. White snowflakes drop all around them, melting into each other’s hair and heated faces. While Sho thinks the snow is pretty, the way Ruki is ecstatic about them is even more beautiful and he can’t waste his vision on anything else. So he pulls the younger closer to him, fitting like perfect puzzle pieces._ _

__“I remember how much you liked the snow,” Sho murmurs in the younger ear, playfully nipping at it. Ruki gasps, trying to push the older off of him but he’s laughing too hard and his arms become weak._ _

__They go on like that, playfully chasing each other around in the dimly lit backyard as the snow continues to come down on top of them, eyes sparkling. Ruki wishes it would snow harder so he can make a snowball, loving to see the older’s reaction._ _

__And It’s like they’re teenagers again._ _

__Sho eventually grabs the younger and brings him in for a chaste kiss as if it were normal for them. His hand is gripping Ruki’s jaw gently, not letting him go as he deepens the kiss, not until they come up for air with eyes hazy and lips swollen. Ruki sighs contently, head on Sho’s chest and they just stand in the frigid cold, snow encasing them._ _

__The younger male is bursting with joy inside, hating how easily he just gave into the older. He wanted to make Sho pay for what he did, how their break up hurt him for months, years, but he thinks the pain of still being with Keigo while mentally checking out of the blonde and into the brunette for a good three or so weeks was enough._ _

__Eventually they go inside for warmth, putting on a Christmas movie as Ruki is not in the mood and refuses to do anything else._ _

__“No kisses for you until you put on the Polar Express,” the younger is dead serious, turning his head this way and that at every attempt the older made and failed to succeed in. Sho clicks his tongue, wondering how he would be able to make up for all the lost kisses during the children’s movie but compiles nonetheless._ _

__Instead their hands are intertwined, hidden beneath the mountains of blankets on top of the newly formed couple. Ruki’s leaning onto Sho’s shoulder, a small smile playing on his lips for the entire movie. As it comes to an end, with only a few minutes left, Ruki speaks up._ _

__“Will you be my New Year’s kiss?”_ _

__Sho smiles smugly._ _

__“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love that i now finished all my homework and can work on writing and finishing this fic before my finals but all of my good plot lines have ceased to exist


	28. Episode 28. "Winter Has Come"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> EXO-CBX - Blooming Day

The next day, the atmosphere was much lighter than in the previous weeks. 

No one could be mad at Ruki’s enormous smile now, rivaling the sun as they’re now sat at the dining table. It’s finally peeking from behind the clouds, revealing it’s true self all along. Just from that one smile, everyone else seems to relax and realize that everything is going to be okay from now on. Junki’s shoulders drop to a comfortable position as he’s stirring away at the stove, a pasta dish in the making. 

The ground was covered in snow now, a few inches culminating overnight. It was the kind that was perfect for making snowmen, soft and sticky with a little weight to it. It twinkled in the sunlight, blinding most but Ruki was in his element. He missed the Tokyo winters; seeing the artificial light from signs and lamps trying to peek through the snow. He missed the snow covering the bushes along his path as he would walk to class, both when he was a young boy and when he returned for university. It didn’t snow much in Okinawa, if any at all. That was the only downside of living on the island.

That was the one thing the brown-haired boy missed the most; snow. He could celebrate Christmas on the island, being a universal holiday everywhere. But it was different to do it without the bright white. There was something else missing from the twinkling lights and sidewalks.

Sho asked the younger to officially be his boyfriend again last night, and with a little huff as the younger was _still_ trying to not let him off the hook, he eventually said yes after a few more minutes of the older begging on his knees. 

Then today, the graduate student pulled the English teacher out towards the backyard in haste after the older barely entered the house from coming home from work. He definitely wasn’t in the right attire for playing in the snow, but he couldn’t say no to the younger when he became all giddy like that. 

So they built snowmen and made snow angels, giggling like teenagers again. It wasn’t long before the rest of the boys found them and screamed in delight — save for Sukai who sat on the porch wrapped in not only a heavy winter coat, but also a blanket to accompany him. He was still feeling a sneeze coming on, not quite over his sickness yet as it’s been only a few days. 

The playful vibe soon turned cold as they started a snowball fight from behind the hill they made for sledding down. 

“Hey, I made that hill! Why do you get to hide behind it and not me?” Keigo shouted at the university students (and Junki) who were hidden, laughing like maniacs. 

Keigo and Sho were out in the open, hoping to hide behind the low chairs on the porch but Sukai yelled at them to not come near him. It was only a matter of time before a snowball hit his face, and his rage would show them more than what he showed Syoya. 

Ruki finally got to make a snowball, larger than his own head and as he crouched behind the hill made for sledding, his heartbeat quickened. He could only imagine the face of the others as he chucked it at his boyfriend. Creeping around the side, he could see the other two were busy making their own snowballs, trying to stack up for when an eventual assault comes for them. It was quite stupid on their end, as they just didn’t know what Ruki had in store for them with his massive, ice-like ball. It was dense, and he didn’t know how he would be able to throw it far enough for it to hit Sho.

So he had to make a run for it.

Ruki wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t yell out his position as he leaned over the side even more. Junki was giving him the side eye while Syoya was making more mini snowballs, chuckling to himself every now and again. 

While both of the other oblivious roommates had their backs to the others — though still looking over their shoulders every now and then in haste — Ruki took his opportunity as Sho turned his head back to his work, coming out from behind his hiding position like a mouse.

He sent a playful kiss to Sukai’s way when the youngest didn’t say a word that give away his position, only smirking.

Ruki was ten feet away, trying to pick up pace but the snow was crunching under his feet and the sound deafening to his ears. He didn’t want to give his stance away for fear of getting attacked. As a physics student, he really wasn’t doing too hot with the way he was moving and making way too much sound. That couldn’t be helped though, with the way his arms slightly moved against his coat, the synthetic material squeaking. 

He could see the beginning of both of their heads turning around, and being only halfway to them Ruki through it was close enough to where he could throw the heavy snowball. 

Ruki stopped, aimed, and fired at his boyfriend. It landed right in his face, the poor boy turning around just in time to get pelted with the ice ball. Ruki’s heart leaped into his throat, dropping to the ground in laughter as he saw two wide eyes peeking through the snow on his face. He’s been waiting a long time to see what Sho would look like when hit with a snowball, and it was so worth the wait.

“Oh, you're _so_ dead Shiroiwa Ruki!”

The eldest launched himself at the man still on the ground, heart too weak to get up as laughing sobs took over his whole body. It made his stomach hurt, too much to even think about getting up and trying to escape. 

“Ruki-kun, no!” Junki yelled dramatically, head poking out from behind the small hill. 

“Man down!”

Sho’s collapsed onto the younger, hands shooting out in an attempt to tickle him through the thick winter coat. It wasn’t working much, but Ruki could feel the invisible tickles like it was yesterday when they were high school students, Ruki in Sho’s bedroom as Sho attacked him. Ruki had taken a look around the older’s room, wondering what he liked to collect and see what was important to him. A bedroom says a lot about you. He had picked up a figurine on his desk, and Sho had come back into his room with water and snacks, seeing it being turned over in Ruki’s delicate hands. Sho had grabbed him by the waist, pinning him on the bed with tickles in some sort of punishment. 

The laughter was so loud, it carried through the air and down the street. The roommates wondered if their far away neighbors could hear, and if they listened closely they probably could. 

Sukai’s teeth chattered as he pulled the blanket closer to him, eyes watching the scene unfold before him. Ruki was under Sho, cheeks red and teeth on full display. The older kept sending tickles his way, straddling him and pinning him to the cold snow. It was filling Ruki’s hair, but he didn’t mind the biting temperature.

Junki had run out from behind the hill to try and save the older, but Keigo spotted his target and picked up a handful of snowballs, pelting them one by one at the chef. They chased each other after that, adding onto the laughing and screams of the couple still on the ground. The tickles have since stopped and a fondness overtook their features, hands caressing cold cheeks. No one else noticed.

“This is disgusting.” Sukai didn’t know when Syoya appeared besides him, but nevertheless he grumbled in agreement. 

It was obvious that the couple on the ground had gotten back together, even without an official announcement to the rest of the roommates. Syoya now noticed them, looking on in happiness, laced with a little bit of jealousy. It’s been a while since he dated, and he slumped against the chair Sukai was sitting in. 

Just then Sukai let out a violent shiver. Syoya smacked him upside the head.

“W-what was what f-for?” Sukai stuttered, teeth still chattering. He knew exactly what it was for though, but was made no move to go inside anytime soon. 

“You’re being an idiot again,” Syoya huffed. He couldn’t believe he still had to care for the younger like this. Doesn’t he know what one should never go out into the cold if they’ve got one themselves? “Let’s get you warmed up inside, I don’t want to catch your sickness. You’re smelly too.”

If Sukai was trying to make this newfound friendship difficult, Syoya was going to play along.

The next day, when he was more conscious of the events happening, Sukai was thoroughly embarrassed. It wasn’t often he was tended to, so he didn’t know how to react. And with him being so, so achingly sick he thought it was time for him to relish in it, just for a little while. His body didn’t have the strength, nor the capacity to not accept Syoya’s kind words and actions. 

So when he realized, it was like the lightswitch dimmed. It wasn’t a full switch — he didn’t go completely back to his old self that loathed the older for his immensely rude actions — but there was still a part of him that wanted to keep his distance. Sukai was always bad with his emotions, never wanting to let others in. He wasn’t used to letting them show, so he wasn’t going to start now if he could help it. 

Syoya sensed his hesitation, so he gave him his space over the past few days since he found Sukai sick in bed. 

It was a slow transition, Sukai knew it would be from the moment he saw Syoya the next day. They wouldn’t become immediate friends, probably due to Sukai being stubborn but he couldn’t forget everything that has happened so far. 

He still wanted to know why the older man was always mad with him. Sukai was good at holding grudges, but this seemed like on a whole new level.

“Let’s go inside before you get even more sick, okay? I’m not tending to you again like Monday,” Syoya said playfully. Sukai rolled his eyes, shrugging Syoya’s helping hand off his shoulder as he slightly struggled out of his chair. He’s gotten even more cold now, and with the many layers he has on it was even more difficult to get up. But he managed with out Syoya’s help, feeling triumphant. 

The signature smirk revealed itself once again as Sukai turned around to face the older, blanket covering everything else except for his face. Syoya snorted, going to open the sliding door and letting the younger inside. He was shivering, hearing the teeth chatter as Sukai moved inside as he held the door open and waited for Sukai to enter first. 

He practically shoved the younger inside one of the bathrooms, yelling at him to take a hot shower and warm himself up. It wasn’t long before the rest of the housemates followed suit, coming inside as the wind picked up and the air was biting at their cheeks. 

An hour later, they all sat at the table with bright smiles and shining eyes, eagerly awaiting Junki’s pasta. The smell was making everyone’s mouth water. Junki sighed in content, happy to finally be getting past the suffocating tension, looking forward to the rest of his stay at the house. 

And when Junki finally brings over the steaming pot, the members are on top of it, manners completely flown out the window as they dig in and take heaping helpings for themselves.

“You guys are animals,” Junki shakes his head with hands on his hips, before going back into the kitchen and grabbing the side dishes he made as well. 

He made spinach ohitashi, a recipe of his mother’s — he thought it was her best dish to date — that he’s memorized. Junki wants to bring some veggies into the meal, and drops some spinach on each of their plates, encouraging the healthy diet before putting the last on his own, sitting onto his seat and digging in.

It wasn’t long after that Sho reached his own chopsticks over, picking up the spinach off of Ruki’s plate and replacing it with some of the chicken that was in Junki’s pasta dish. It was silent, an automatic action and Ruki was quite surprised. His hands don't move even after the action was complete, only staring at the older in slight distress but more so awe. 

“What? I remember you don’t like spinach, don’t give me that look,” Sho rolls his eyes, pointing his chopsticks at the younger’s plate before taking a big bite of the spinach he stole. 

Ruki made a pained noise.

He didn’t think Sho would remember anything, it’s been so long and they’re out of routine.

The others are looking on with suspicion. The older two of the four smirk, heads going back to their meals while the young university students are puzzled by the action, still out of the loop. They only go back to eating when Ruki forced his hand to stop trembling and finally hold the chopsticks properly enough to eat on his own.

“Okay, wait wait wait. I didn’t want to question it and ruin this good mood, but with that going on I just wanna know. What the hell is going on here,” Syoya brings up. It’s no question what he was referring to.

Sho sighs, glancing over at his newly reunited boyfriend, before looking across the table at everyone else.

He lifted their interlocked fingers, “we’re dating. Was that not obvious?”

And Syoya screams. If it was summer birds would surely be scattering from the trees from Syoya’s loud yell.

“I knew it! Oh my god!” He congratulates them, and Sho gives the table a brief overview of their previous relationship, leaving out the bad and only talking about how much he loved the younger. It’s embarrassing for Ruki, face flushing as quickly as Sho started to reminisce. 

Quickly, their stomachs fill with the delicious food and it sits dense in their stomachs. It was good to have a home cooked meal again. Junki had started coming back home later and later, and there was never time for him to cook much. Well, that was somewhat of a lie as he stayed out late if he wasn’t working on purpose, so he didn’t have to eat back home and possibly cook in the tense atmosphere. It wouldn’t help the flavor of his food, knowing that he would be too distracted by the depressing aura. 

When the boys moved to the living room later, playing a game on the floor Junki’s reaching behind him. There’s something that has been poking him since the beginning of the game and he can’t concentrate, getting frustrated that he keeps losing. 

“You’re just bad at games, Junkichi,” Keigo keeps telling him, smiling wide and the older stutters.

“N-no, I’m telling you! It’s something else,” and when he reaches behind again, his hand comes across something small and cold. He’s glad his hand didn’t come across the tag again, always grabbing at it thinking that was the culprit but he knew better when he could still feel the tiny mysterious object.

Junki didn’t like the feeling of the random object touching him, so when he felt the small object he was relieved that this was the possibility. He pulled it out, somehow stuck between the seat cushion and the one that is attached to the side of the couch. It was only a matter of time that his butt touched the object, him leaning so far over that the body part was the only thing touching the couch now.

He pulled it out and in front of him; a tiny red flash drive. 

“Hmm, I wonder how that got there. Weird,” Junki stares at the tiny thing, wondering who it belonged to before his ears bled at the sound of one of the younger’s high-pitched screeching.

“Oh my god, Junki you’re a lifesaver! I could kiss you!” Syoya leaped over the coffee table the group was playing their board game on, knocking some of the pieces out of the way as he grabbed the precious flash drive out of the older’s hand. 

The others complain at the action, but Syoya doesn’t care. He was full on planning how to explain to his advisor of the mistake, having to meet with the man tomorrow afternoon. Now thanks to Junki, and his awkward finding of the flash drive that Syoya doesn’t want to know how he did, his thesis was saved and he could finally breathe again. His grade was saved, as well as future employments. He couldn’t thank the older enough.

It’s a fleeting thought, but Sukai wonders why he isn’t getting as big of a headache now as he used to whenever Syoya’s voice raised in volume.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the chapters are slowly getting shorter and shorter :(


	29. Episode 29. "Teachers Hard at Work"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taeyang - Eyes, Nose, Lips

Sho is absolutely exhausted.

It’s the last day of November, just over two months that the male has been living in the house. His run living there has been eventful, to say the least. 

The eldest is back at the dining table, agonizing over a lesson plan for his students. He doesn’t have much time with the kids; he goes to one class, staying for an hour until he has to hop to another class for another hour. He does this several times a day, just when he is getting used to the kids and their antics he has to leave. But each class is the same; some with loud and bubbly personalities, others quiet and complacent. And then there are those who act rebelliously, some days not feeling like learning the foreign language so they talk back to Sho as if he didn’t understand their native tongue. Somehow the young kids are always surprised when he retorts in perfect Japanese, and then Sho chuckles as he tries to get them into the activity.

They passed the people unit. It was easier than Sho thought, though he guesses that they really liked to call each other all sorts of English words, not caring that one person was ‘aunt’ while another was ‘brother’ instead of ‘friend’. Then they would take it farther, going to their parents and trying to confuse them with the English words for mom and dad. It was always laughable when the elementary students came back the next day grumpy, wondering why their parents knew the very familiar English words. It was one of the few that they learned, but mother and father were basic in all languages, one of the first words to learn such as ‘hello’ is. 

Now, Sho was trying to teach the children numbers, along with the calendar (days, months, and seasons) and some verbs. It was a lot to take in at once and he would definitely be needing to bring about index cards for the children to make flashcards.

With his laptop set out before him and multiple tabs open, he just couldn’t find inspiration for a lesson plan. Some were over the top and he wouldn’t have enough time to explain, hand out, and help everyone finish on time before moving to his next class. Other examples were too plain, and they would definitely bore most of the kids. Even the ones always excited when their favorite teacher Yonashiro Sho entered their room, participating eagerly.

He’s drumming his fingers on the edge of the table, wondering what he should do when the door to the mudroom opens up.

“I’m back,” Ruki calls out, smiling in relief when he sees his boyfriend. 

Oh how much Sho needed to see that smile right now. He didn’t even realize it until he saw it brightening up the room.

Ruki’s heart warms at the relaxing look on Sho’s face as he sees the younger. He thinks he must have been stressed by how quickly his facial expression changed at the sight of the brown-haired one. 

Ruki walks over to the older, coming up behind him and leaning over his shoulder to see what he’s looking at. It’s a painful flashback for Sho to just a month and a half earlier, but Sho shakes his thoughts away as he grabs the younger’s hand in his to remind him that it was _Ruki._

“Why did I think it was a good idea to go back to school. Or at least elementary school, for God’s sakes. They don’t listen,” Sho whines, burying his face in Ruki’s arm that has made its way around and over Sho’s shoulders. The younger laughed seeing his boyfriend so distressed.

He would have been much better teaching English in middle school, or even high school. He loved the more complicated words, having plans to show video clips and movies but once he applied to the elementary school all of that jumped out the window from their beginner level language skills. Maybe in a couple of years Sho will reconsider moving up, but for right now he can’t help but smile every time he enters a classroom, no matter how the class ends up after the hour. 

The younger stood up and patted his boyfriend’s shoulder, “sorry Yona, you know I can’t speak English,” the younger smirks, trying to get out of more work. He just came back from university, his last class of the day ending just under an hour ago. He wanted a little bit of downtime before he had to get started on grading the latest test he was working as a teaching assistant for. The class was an introduction into physics, the first semester all about kinematics and motion. It was his more favorable part of the overall subject. 

Ruki was one of the teaching assistants to get the open response questions. The teaching assistants took turns grading the multiple exams throughout the semester due to the immense amount of students in the class (the main professor teaching over three hundred students, having them spread out over two lecture periods). Ruki was stuck with a good sixty or so, and had to have them graded by Monday so the professor could quickly skim and then put the grades into the online grading system.

“Please, what do you do for your lesson plans,” when Sho brought out the puppy dog eyes, Ruki couldn’t possibly turn him down. 

“You can’t possibly think that you can turn a physics lesson into an English one, right? Plus, my students get a work book for the whole semester. I just have to give them a couple of pages each week to do,” Ruki smirked once again, clicking his tongue as he grabbed a bowl of cereal to munch on. All Ruki had to do was review the questions and refresh his memory, only explaining concepts in his ‘class’. 

Sho rubs his forehead harshly at the unhelpful words.

It looks like the boy won’t be eating a proper meal tonight, already worrying over the amount of grading that has to take place, as well as his work on his own classes and his thesis. He sits across from Sho, his backpack in the seat besides him that’s heavy, full of papers waiting to be graded. 

“You’re killing me, Smalls,” Sho mutters in English, a reference to one of his newly favorite American movies from the early 90s, “I might just have to go with another simple worksheet again.”

Ruki doesn’t get the reference, though he doesn’t know that much English to begin with anyway so that didn’t help him much. He just raises an eyebrow at the older, shaking his head. Sho scoffs, wanting more than anything to have the younger understand him. He thought it would be cute if the two could communicate back and forth in both languages, confusing others around them as they switched back and forth when out on dates. Ruki wasn’t always good with languages, the words and sounds getting mixed up in his head. Even Japanese was hard for the boy sometimes.

So that’s how Ruki finds himself in a mini English lesson with Sho, leaning back in his chair as he stares at the older trying to teach him basic words and verbs but they’re going in one ear and out the other. He’s happy to find that Sho is so excited over the language, pulling at references from his classroom and mini projects he’s created. 

“Okay, repeat after me. ‘I am hot,’” Sho smirks. It’s slightly evil, and Ruk doesn’t know if he wants to continue, but he does, copying the sounds and not trying to understand their meaning. 

“‘I am hot.’”

“Good. Now this one, ‘I am sexy,’”

Ruki knew that word, and he liked where this was going. He is the one to smirk now, leaning on the table now, “‘I am sexy.’”

“Last one. ‘But in no way can I compare to my hot and sexy boyfriend,’” Sho is trying to hold his laughter in, and it makes Ruki suspicious.

“T-tell me what you just said! If you’re making me swear in another language, Yonashiro Sho, for the love of-” Ruki cries out, reaching over to hit the older on the arm. Sho’s laughing, telling him it’s okay to repeat him. He latches onto the younger’s wrist, pulling him closer until their breath fans on each other’s faces. 

Ruki’s close now, and his heart beats fast just like when he was 17 years old. The playful atmosphere is quick to switch as Sho’s eyes are hooded.

“I would never make you say something that isn’t true,” Sho whispers, eyes flitting down towards the younger’s lips and not moving away. Ruki stutters, face growing red and he’s trying to pull away but the older won’t let him.

“Okay, I-I believe you, Sho please,” it’s not a scared tone, but he’s getting hot and bothered and Ruki _really_ needs to start on his own work now. He’s played around with Sho enough. The older steals a quick kiss before sitting down back in his seat and acting like nothing happened.

Ruki has to shake his head a little and wait for it to clear before he can start the grading process. For that to happen, he needed to be in the mode of physics, as to not give worse grades to some of the students. He absentmindedly pulling out the stack of papers, plopping them down in front of him. Ruki doesn’t even realize how loud he made it until he sees Sho’s reaction.

The sound makes Sho jump out of his seat. He had turned his attention back to his laptop, biting his bottom lip and hoping for _something_ to come to mind. When he heard the sound, he bit down hard, crying out in pain. 

Ruki laughed hard at the now swollen lip, still chuckling as he got up and leaned over the table. The action from before is now gone from his head.

“I-I’m s-sorry Sho,” He says through his laughter, a weak hand reaching out to gently take Sho’s chin and tilt his mouth towards him. He inspects the lip now, a small spot redder than the rest. But no skin was broken, for which he was grateful for.

“You’re fine, you big baby. Now get back to work,” Ruki points a finger at him, more teacher-like than the actual professional sitting before him. 

Sho sticks his tongue out. Baby confirmed.

They sit like that for hours, Ruki grading paper after paper and Sho typing up words nonstop, getting the motivation to work on lessons that were scheduled for farther out dates. Sometimes Ruki would pause and let out a light chuckle. It’s the fifth time he’s done this now, and while Sho absolutely loves the sound, he’s getting too curious. Physics shouldn’t be that funny (if at all), so what was Ruki laughing at?

Sho snorts, getting Ruki’s attention, “what are you students writing? Is it really that bad?”

One of the open response questions was a ramp problem. An object was released from the top of the curved ramp, and slid into a spring at the bottom. Clearly, this student had no clue how to find the distance the spring was compressed as the object slid into it. They instead opted to draw a large elephant in the middle of the object and spring, explaining that it cannot compress the spring since there was an elephant in the way. The student even added a small frowning face next to the picture, hoping to get empathy points. Ruki may have laughed, but he wasn't giving out pity points to anyone. 

As Ruki explains, Sho’s grin grows wider until he is laughing as well, stomach hurting from Ruki explaining the other answers he was laughing at.

No matter how silly and obviously inaccurate the answers were, Ruki has to admit that they had quite the imagination. He hoped that they could go into a major that is more creative rather than physics, which worked with only true and hard facts.

College students were definitely more funny than elementary students at times, especially when Sho tried to give mini tests, half in Japanese and half in English but his students still wrote the same three words over and over. 

They relapse back into silence now. Ruki is almost a third of the way through with grading, red pen marking up papers here and there. It looks like most of the students knew what they were doing, save for a few more that had to draw silly pictures or make up rules to fit their perspective. He really doesn’t know how they got into the program, or even college for that matter with these answers.

Ruki whines after he’s done with another page, headache growing. Looks like he will have to do more than just assign those pages in the workbook after all. The students just aren’t getting the concepts, so it has be him to drive it home for them. 

Sho looks up at Ruki through his eyelashes. He silently pushes his glass of water towards the other, going back to finish up the last touches to the worksheet he is making. It’s a masterpiece, with all sorts of pictures and funky lettering that would catch their attention, but also give them a good grip on the new words being introduced. 

Ruki’s surprised by the sudden glass of water in front of him, head lifting from where it was resting on his hand. He looks at Sho but the older man isn't watching him. A small smile appears, and he takes a tiny sip before sliding it back, eyes going back down to the next page. 

Other housemates come and go throughout the rest of the night, but the new couple was the only constant in the room. They’re there until it’s starting to get late, and Ruki stretches his arms high over his head in exhaustion. 

“Tired?”

Ruki nods, eyes squeezed shut as he let his arms back down. A small groan escapes his mouth at the feeling of his back crack when he stretches, releasing some of the tension. 

“Come on,” Sho gets up, shutting down his laptop and dragging the younger over to the living room. He sits in the corner of the couch, pulling the younger one into his arms. 

“S-Sho, I can sit on my own,” Ruki huffs, but doesn’t make any motion to move. He’s so tired, and Sho was the perfect pillow that he needed. The older reached behind Ruki for a blanket, laying it over them. Ruki’s eyes are starting to shut, but he’s still watching the older’s movements. 

“What do you want to watch?” Sho asks, fingers threading through the younger’s hair. Ruki had moved down a little, head laying on Sho’s chest as his legs were stretched over the rest of the couch. He hums at the contact, snuggling his head further into Sho’s chest.

The older giggles, taking it as that he himself would have to pick something. He clicks his tongue, scrolling through movies until he spots another one of Ruki’s favorites. The younger is out like a light within minutes though, but Sho doesn’t mind. He keeps petting the younger’s hair, loving to feel the smooth locks threading through his fingers. 

One of Sho’s favorite pastimes was stroking the younger’s hair. Not only was it soothing to the younger, but it calmed Sho down immensely. Ruki always came to the older in his time of need, sitting in his room and listening to him speak as Sho distracted himself in the younger’s hair. It helped him get his words out; make his thoughts clearer. 

It felt good, having Ruki under his hand again. Sho smiled down at the younger, getting comfortable on the couch as he watched the university student’s favorite movie. 

Ruki awoke just before the movie ended, eyes opening just in time for the plot twist. 

“She was always a bitch, wasn’t she?” Ruki mumbled, eyes blinking sleep from them. 

Sho’s startled, but quickly recovers as he smirks down at the other. His hand resumes in Ruki’s hair, fingernails grazing his scalp lightly every now and then. He agrees with Ruki, a deep chuckle coming from his chest and Ruki gets the full effect as he lays on the older. 

“I hate how she left.”

Sho continues to stroke Ruki’s hair, lost in thought. 

“Sho?”

The older hums in response, but when Ruki doesn’t answer he draws back the younger’s bangs, leaning slightly over to get a good look at his face. His face was strained, some faraway look on his face and Sho sensed something was wrong. 

“What is it, baby?” They lock eyes, and Ruki sighs at the worry in the older’s. He lifts his head and reaches over, cupping Sho’s face lightly and smiling sadly.

“I think our time here is up. It’s only right that we leave together, yeah? Unless you’re thinking of leaving me again for someone else,” Ruki tries to joke with the older to lighten the mood about moving out of the house, but his face goes as hard as steel.

“I’ll _never_ leave you ever again, Ruki. You hear me? Never,” he’s whispering now, but his face is so close to Ruki’s that the younger can hear him loud and clear. He is very protective of what is his. Just to make the words clearer, he grabbed Ruki’s chin in one of his hands, making him stare into his eyes. Ruki gulps at the older’s expression, and knows that his words are true. 

Sho doesn’t think he can go another six years, six months, or even minutes away from the younger again. It was painful for the first six, heartbreaking and Sho cannot even fathom what he would do if it were to happen again. All he knows is that if there is one thing he wants in his life, it was the younger one that was sitting in front of him, face twisted with all sorts of emotions that Sho was making him feel. 

“I love you, okay? I never stopped loving you, and I don’t think I ever will. You’re stuck with me baby.”

And Sho is kissing him with all he has, not caring if anyone were to come downstairs and see the mess of limbs twisting around each other in a tight embrace. 

It makes Ruki breathless, but he doesn’t let his lips leave the older even for a second. If he were to die right then and there from the lack of air, at least his last moments would be kissing the love of his life, and if there is any way to go that would be the one he wants the most. 

They break apart, heavily breathing and resting their foreheads together. Sho’s hand is spread wide, running over Ruki’s ear, his cheek, his jaw, his lips. He’s gasping for air, trying to breathe in Ruki and memorize everything about him even though he's done that ten times over back in his senior year of high school and hasn’t forgotten anything since. Sho peppers light kisses over his eyes, nose, lips; everywhere that he can get to on his face.

“I won’t leave you,” Ruki whispers back, breathing hot on the older’s. 

“So are we doing this together?”

Ruki finally looks at the older. Their eyes lock, and it’s like magic. It’s hard to look away, but Ruki doesn’t want to as he stares into the dark brown eyes of the older. They’re wide and bright and searching. Ruki’s eyes trace over his faint double eyelids, loving the way the older’s face looks. It was his favorite feature of his boyfriend. 

“If you’ll have me.”

Sho launches himself at the younger, falling back awkwardly as he kisses Ruki senseless and Ruki’s laughing through the kiss. It’s embarrassing and uncomfortable but that’s just perfect for the boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yonaruki fluff and then i'm sorry for that. i just want to bring shosei and shion in, they're waited long enough


	30. Episode 30. "Big Calls"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jhameel - Poison

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haven't proofread yet, oops
> 
> ~ heated near the end

24 hours later, the boys find themselves sitting at the dining table again.

Sho’s throat is clogging up, wondering how Ren and Takumi did it all those weeks ago. It was hard to say goodbye to his roommates, even harder to say goodbye to the ones that he knew from the very beginning. Even worse, it was the hardest to say goodbye to Keigo, who was there for him whenever he needed it, always with encouraging words and tight hugs when those didn’t work. 

Junki’s oblivious, hips swaying as he whistles a light tune. He’s cooking dinner with Syoya, making hot pot. They’re talking in hushed tones every now and then, peering over the large pot and making sure everything is cooked thoroughly.

Sukai and Keigo are deep at work, laptops out as they wait for the food to be placed on the table. It was a busy past week for the boys; Sukai was sick most of the week so he had to miss several days worth of classes (the worst thing for a struggling senior college student). Keigo was reviewing for his modeling jobs that he had in the coming week; more editorials. He sighed as he realized it might be awhile before he could catwalk again.

When dinner was finally brought out, Sho’s eyes were trained on the table. Ruki kicked his foot lightly, a telepathic communication between the two. Sho’s heart jumps at the contact, and he sniffs, trying to shake himself out of the slump.

“Before we eat, uhm . . .” Sho clears his throat, speaking up. He looks around at the other roommates, and the boys seem to have an understanding expression on their faces. But they don’t say a word, not yet.

“I think it’s time that Ruki and I finally move out, get a place of our own,” he’s smiling shyly now at the thought of living together — alone. Sho’s gaze locks on Ruki’s eyes dancing together. 

Someone sniffs, but neither can make out who it was from. 

“W-who’s going to answer the intercom?” Syoya’s lip was trembling now. It’s disheartening to see the elders leave. Who would take care of then in their time of need, to give advice and comfort as if they were the younger boys’ parents?

Sho chuckles, gaze breaking away from Ruki as he looks over at the black-haired boy. Tears are starting to stream down his face, but he couldn’t help it. Syoya wipes hastily at them, nose red.

“You’re a big boy now. And if you can’t do it, then Junki should be the one,” Sho slaps the man who was sitting next to him on his shoulder, giving him a big grin albeit the sad atmosphere. The boy cries out, not in pain but in anguish, in sadness. 

“I-I can’t, Sho-kun. You can’t leave me, not another one,” Junki latches onto his hand, begging him to stay. It’s weird, touching Sho again after the whole ordeal with Keigo and his whole body is on fire, telling him to get away but he can’t let go. The older man meant too much to him, always smiling and giving night thoughts, oblivious to what was going on behind his back. But Junki still needs him. 

“You’ll be fine, Junki-kun. You’ve got wonderful people here still, and more to come,” SHo puts on his best smile. It seems to be working for the most part, but he’s breaking inside by leaving. But it’s only for the best.

“R-Ruki-kun,” Syoya cried out next, sniffling even louder this time. He sinks into his chair, going to miss the way the older smiled at everything. The younger university student will miss their late night cram sessions, even though they’re complete opposite majors. It was nice to talk to someone who went through what Syoya was doing now, and since he wasn’t talking to Sukai at the time Ruki was his only option.

“I’ll miss you too, buddy,” Ruki reaches across the table to ruffle his long hair, complaining about it going into his eyes too often. Syoya laughs at that, promising to get a haircut when he knows he won’t. 

It’s a mess of confessions and crying and snot, all remembering the good time they had over the last month. They were small, only in groups of two or three due to the tense atmosphere, but nevertheless they built a strong bond with each other. It was easier to become close to someone when it was one on one anyways.

They try not to choke on their food as they begin eating, all of their throats clogged from crying too much. 

Keigo was shocked, eyes burning but he didn’t say a word all through dinner. He wasn’t expecting Sho to leave this soon, and it was like a stab to his heart. 

After dinner, the older nodded to him, a silent agreement between them as Sho walked into his room. Keigo followed, knowing exactly what was going to go down. He was expecting it, wondering when Sho would do it but having it happen now wsa like a kick to the stomach. They were together for a good couple of weeks, a month, and Keigo couldn’t just forget those genuine feelings at the time. 

“I guess it’s time, then,” Sho chuckled lightly, though there was a darker element hidden inside his voice. Keigo sniffed, looking at the teddy bear that the older cradled in his hands. 

“I guess so.”

Keigo didn’t know what else to say. Even if he did, his voice wouldn’t let him, knowing it would crack the second he opened his mouth again. 

Sho sighed, “damn it Keigo,” he wrapped his arms tightly around the younger as he cried into his shoulder. Now it was Sho’s turn to comfort the blonde-haired male. He thought Keigo was fine with this because of their conversation a couple of days ago, but maybe he was led on differently.

“‘M sorry,” he sniffed into the other’s shirt, voice muffled. He was a mess.

“You’re squeezing so tight, do you want me to die?” The older chuckled, and Keigo immediately released him, “lighten up, Kei. It’s not goodbye, but see you later. Yeah?”

Keigo nodded, eyes still down until the bear entered his vision. Their eyes connected again as Sho shoved the bear into Keigo’s chest, asking him to take it back again and give it to someone else. Sho has no need for it now, his long nights forever gone as long as Ruki is by his side.

“I promise Sho-kun,” Keigo whispers, gently taking it back. It lays delicate in the blonde’s hands, and he just stares at the smiling face of the bear. It brings automatic joy to the younger, remembering the day he bought it.

Later that night, Keigo is sitting on his bed and just staring at the stuffed animal. 

Now it’s laced with sad memories, and Keigo wonders how he could ever give it to someone else. It was obvious, he wants to give it to the older black-haired boy, but would he accept? Junki’s still been avoiding him lately, and he doesn’t know why. Maybe it would be stupid of him to try and give it to Junki, when the younger was with him when he bought it — _for someone else._

He wants to throw the bear down, hide it away so he can’t look at it anymore. 

Just as he starts to squeeze the stuffed animal, Junki walks by the younger’s room, on his way to his own just down the hall. His steps stutter when he notices the door to Keigo’s room was open ajar, and stops completely when he sees the animal in his grasp. Keigo was squeezing the life out of it, face strained and Junki’s heart dropped. 

“K-Keigo?” Junki knocks lightly on the door. He didn’t want to, he willed his body to keep moving. But the younger was in distress and he couldn’t keep walking away when he was feeling so upset. “Are you okay?”

Keigo’s head snaps up at the familiar sound, hands relaxing instantly. 

He looks at the younger with wide eyes. His confidence is all gone now, and he looks so, so small. The blonde curls into himself, wondering why Junki was at his door when he hasn’t talked to him for weeks. He doesn’t answer until Junki repeats his name again. Keigo never wants to hear his name being said like that ever again.

“Y-yeah, I um . . . everything is fine, yeah,” he’s stuttering, voice cracking on the word ‘fine’. It’s a painful giveaway for his true feelings, and he flinched when it happened. Junki sighs, steppin further into the room. 

“Sho?”

It’s a simple, one word question but it held so much more than that. Keigo nods his head, still seating on the bed. He licks his lips, before getting the courage to stand up and face the younger.

“Probably not a good idea that he has this,” Keigo clears his throat. The room was choking him, and not in the way that he wanted. 

Junki chuckles lightly, eyes flickering back to the bear. Definitely not a good idea indeed. Junki takes another cautious step forward, repeating his question from earlier. There is still something going on in Keigo’s face that the older couldn’t quite place.

“It’s fine, I-I’m fine, it’s-” Keigo’s frustrated at the way his words won’t come out, “I’ll just miss him, I guess. But it’s no big deal.”

Junki nods at that, knowing how the younger felt. It’s like Ren and Takumi all over again, and it must be hitting Keigo just a little bit harder than the rest. So even though they’re not on good terms, Junki is closing the gap between then and curling his arms around the younger, a hand on the back of his head. He eases Keigo onto his shoulder, but before the younger even touches Junki he’s already bursting with tears.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t-” the bonde’s words are muffled in Junki’s shoulder. It’s too much of a reminder like earlier with Sho, and he hates it. All Junki does is say that he knows, petting the younger’s hair over and over again. 

The bear is forgotten now, dropped to the floor the moment Junki reached out and touched the blonde. 

“Can I kiss you?”

It’s sudden. Keigo didn’t even know that he said it until it was already floating in the air, making his ears pound. His face is red hot and he’s glad his head is still next to Junki's, not facing each other just yet.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea”

The whisper makes Keigo want to throw up, but he understands.

Junki’s mind has been swirling ever since that night in the playroom. He hates knowing that he could have been the cause of their breakup, even though Junki knew of the previous relationship between Ruki and Sho. It was inevitable for the ex boyfriends to become each others again, but Junki still blames himself that it could have been him; keeping Keigo away, making the younger’s feelings change and thus dooming the relationship.

There was no respect in it and Junki stayed up every night just thinking it over. He should have rejected the first kiss, and for weeks he wanted to go back in time and do just that. Keigo’s like poison, and for some reason the younger is addicted to drinking it all up, every last drop. 

Junki can’t think clearly around Keigo. He’s addicted to the scent, to Keigo and it’s driving him insane. 

Somehow, Junki doesn’t know when, but Keigo’s face has slowly drifted away from the older’s shoulder and besides his face, his nose pressed into the older’s cheek lightly. They’re close, too close for Junki to be comfortable with. His heart is racing way too fast for it to be normal when all he was doing was standing still.

Keigo likes to breathe in Junki’s scent too. It’s become familiar, laced with a sweetness and an addicting taste that he couldn’t get enough of. 

“Can I have a kiss?”

It comes again, softer this time and it almost makes Junki whine. The sound doesn’t get past his lips though. Their stance is domestic, happening from weeks before and Junki hates that he missed the position. Keigo’s nose pressed just that might lighter into Junki’s cheek and he loses it. 

His mouth moves swiftly to capture the younger into a kiss, rough and passionate. Their pace picks up as Keigo is relieved, heart beat elevating as he tries to get leverage, backing the two of them up in the process.

Junki’s back slams into the door, shutting it close with a loud slam but neither care if it wakes up the rest of the house. The younger’s body is pressed flush, fitting snugly as if they haven’t had the break. 

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck fu-_

Junki’s mind is racing, much too fast for him to keep up. He knows it’s wrong, knows that he shouldn’t have given into the younger so easily. But the other part of Junki rationalizes that Keigo was a free man now, and he could do whatever he wanted with the blonde. It makes him kiss back even harder, head pushing into the younger with force that he didn’t know he had.

It surprised Keigo, but he bites back with an equal amount. Hands are flying over everything, everywhere as if it was the first time again. They’re hot, searing skin and Junki thinks he’s gone to heaven.

_Keigo’s just emotional, this is why it’s happening again-_

Keigo’s pushing and pushing and pushing and Junki thinks he might as well go through the door soon. His kiss is electric, tongue swiping eagerly, just as eager as the older’s hands drifting along the top of the younger’s pants, fingers dancing over the tense skin. 

Junki pushes back now, tongue hot in the other’s mouth as he moves them to the much more comfortable bed. 

_It’s only physical-_

Keigo’s hand is on his throat now, gasping for air when they separate from the bouncy landing. He’s staring at him with dark eyes, thumbing the older’s Adam’s apple. Junki swallows harshly, feeling the finger pressed up against his skin. He hates the look in Keigo’s eyes, so he dives back down again, capturing the younger’s swollen lips in another bruising kiss. 

_You’re gonna get hurt-_

Junki only wants one-night stands. He tells himself that this is all there is, going as far as anything physical. He lays his body on top of the other at the thought, hands weaving into blonde. 

Junki pulls, now taking his own turn at the neck. It’s payback time, littering small bruises and bite marks all down the side of the neck, past the collarbone. Keigo’s panting in desperation, hips bucking when Junki bites down just a little harder than necessary. The younger hates feeling the smirk on top of his skin.

_It’s just a quick-_

Short, quick breaths fill the air quickly and it makes Junki feels at home. It’s scary how comfortable he is with the sharp gasps, red lips, hazy eyes. His stomach flutters when he looks at Keigo, and he pushes it down as he presses another chaste kiss to the younger.

Keigo flips them over abruptly, surprising the older. He gasps, the perfect opportunity for the younger to dive in. It’s heating up now and Junki’s mind is still wandering to the other roommates hearing this until Keigo presses him further into the bed, making his mind spin.

It’s all out the gate now. Junki’s giving in; it’s easy when Keigo has his hand up Junki’s shirt, kissing him as if there was no tomorrow. 

_It’s been so long, maybe-_

Junki whines and it makes Keigo plunge deeper, trailing kisses down the older’s neck. Junki screws his face up at the feeling, legs shifting against Keigo to compensate. 

“Shit, K-Keigo-” It’s the first time anyone has ever said anything during their make-out sessions, and Junki can feel the smug smile against his skin. There wasn’t even a stutter of motion and Junki’s riled up. His nails dig deep into Keigo’s arms, and Keigo bites harder in retaliation.

It’s rough, much rougher than Junki is used to but it’s okay because he loves it all the same. He wants to get it all out of his system, so he pushes against the younger, fighting back for dominance once again.

When they’re done, shirts wrinkled and lips bruised, Junki runs a hand through his now slightly damp hair. It made him work up a sweat, and he shutters at the thought of Keigo licking a stripe up his neck. 

He hops off the younger’s bed, walking to the door. Junki turns around, hand on the knob. 

“That was fun.”

He doesn’t have intentions of doing it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i like to use italics to get my feelings across 
> 
> also sorry junkeigo, i can't have you guys leaving yet. i like to play with all sorts of relationships and shion/shosei need some sort of adults in the household


	31. Episode 31. "Learning to be Happy"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pdjp - young

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i haven't proofread, don't make fun of my mistakes please

The blonde is dressed in denim, standing tall in front of a large white backdrop. 

An hour earlier, he was leaning against a railing outside the brick building, head tilted back as the photographer took his picture. A heavy denim jacket was placed over his shoulders, no shirt underneath to reveal his toned body. Another pair of denim jeans hung loosely on his waist, love handles jutting out in all the right ways. In the early December air, he was freeing, but it made his muscles tense which was good for the photos. So he stood there, eyes squinting at the white sky full of clouds. He knows the sun was behind them making it all the more brighter. The brightness hurt, much too light for him to take photos properly so he tilted his head more to the right so the camera wouldn’t capture his grimace. 

_Sho and Ruki rolled their suitcases into the living room, sighing as they came to a stop in front of the other four roommates. Their expressions broke Sho’s heart and he didn’t know how to try and repair it._

_“You’re really leaving, huh? There’s nothing I can say to make you stay?” Syoya sniffles, bringing a hand up to brush over his nose. He giggles lightly, already knowing the answer before Sho can even make a reaction. The eldest threaded his fingers in the younger’s hair, asking how he let it get so long._

_“You won’t get a proper job with this haircut, Kimata,” Sho teases, once again offering to use the gift Syoya gave him on the young boy himself. Syoya shakes his head violently at that, burying his head in the chest of the older, arms weaving tightly around him. It’s a simple hug and yet it’s bursting with so much emotion that Keigo has to look away._

“-ato-kun, relax your face!” The photographer’s voice brought Keigo out of his memories, realizing now how his face screwed up prettily. 

He tries to relax it as he’s now standing inside, where nothing can make him lose expression other than his thoughts. This was the second time it’s happened, and Keigo doesn’t want to know what would happen if he was scolded for the third time. This photographer doesn’t like funny business, so if Keigo can’t focus and be useful to the photographer, well, he’ll lose out of multiple opportunities later on. 

One hand goes into the pocket of his new jean jacket, opening it a little wider to reveal another, thinner denim shirt. With the multiple articles of clothing on the boy now, the shirt buttoned up all the way to his throat, he feels like he’s going to choke.

_After Sho gave the long hug to the university student, Syoya threw his arms around Ruki next. Ruki had to take a step back to stabilize, giving an equal amount of squeeze to the younger._

_“You have my number, Syoya. You can always call or text when you need help, yeah?” Ruki squeezes the younger with all he’s got, a stray tear following the path down his nose, past his lips and over his chin. He could feel the younger nod in his shoulder, a muffled noise coming from the younger that he could only assume was an affirmation._

_Sukai was next. He didn’t talk much, so there was a brief exchange between the elders but it was still heartfelt nonetheless. Sho would sometimes catch the younger blowing off steam in the playroom, battling out various monsters on the large tv. The older stopped to watch, sometimes even joining but it was on the rare occasion, as he too needed a breather. Sukai was friendlier with Ruki, however. Maybe it was because they came into the house at the same time, and he witnessed the almost massacre of Sho’s neck due to Keigo right before Ruki walked in. The brown-haired male knew better than to assume, but he was always quick to offer an escape if he ever found Ruki and Sho (especially with Keigo) in the same room._

_The younger stepped back after his hugs, whispers of gratitude in their ears for only the elders to hear._

Keigo almost flinched as another photo was taken, this flash seemingly being brighter than the others. He’s distracted again, losing face but quickly replaced it with a bored expression before the photographer could chew him out. 

He’s taken well over a hundred photos by now, but with the way they’re going Keigo doesn’t think he’ll be stopping anytime soon. He switches his weight to the other foot, head tilted at another angle as the photographer and fashion director tell him.

_Just as he did with the previous roommates, Junki rushes over to Sho as soon as Sukai let go of him, his heat butt knocking the air out of Sho’s lungs. The older chuckles, taking deep breaths to regain the oxygen he’s lost. Junki is clutching him tightly, tears streaming down his face. It’s a heartbreaking scene, and Junki just keeps whispering over and over again how sorry he is, that he hope’s Sho is happy and can forgive him._

_It’s a last resort for peace of mind, and Sho doesn’t know what Junki is muttering about. All he can do is stroke the younger’s hair, enclosing him in his arms in a protective embrace and repeat that everything was alright._

“-to Keigo! Why is your face so pained, what are you thinking? This is a photoshoot, not a funeral!” The photographer stood up from his crouched position, camera down by his side. He’s getting angrier because Keigo isn’t concentrating, but one look in the younger’s eyes makes him soften just a little bit. The directing team calls for a break, and Keigo is the first one over to the refreshments table.

He gulps down a cup of water, and another, and another.

_Junki’s hug with Ruki was more delicate._

_“Promise me you’ll take care of Sho, yeah? Please, please don’t let him go through heartbreak,” Junki whispers, eyes pinching shut, trying not to let any more tears escape. It doesn’t work as well as the younger planned. Ruki promises as he hears a noticeable strain in the younger’s voice. Junki can’t breathe, so he pulls away hastily and goes as far away from everyone as he dares without seeming suspicious. He’s hyperventilating, memories flooding back to him and he can’t look at Sho when Keigo is the last one to embrace him._

_It was quick, yet meaningful at the same time. They already said their goodbyes previously, more in the exchange in the stuffed animal than here. Keigo’s eyes flicker to Ruki for a moment, wondering if he should say anything._

_Ruki’s the one to pull him into a hug first. It’s surprising, even to him, but Ruki hates grudges. After all, he wasn’t as asleep in the car as the other boys might have previously thought._

_“Thank you for taking care of Sho,” and Ruki means it. The whisper comes as a shock to Keigo, and he nods vigorously in the older’s shoulder._

_It’s time for them to part ways now, the couple grabbing their suitcases and heading out the door. Ruki was living in an apartment previously, needing one to be close by for commuting to university. He still is on the lease, hoping that he would be able to go back to it after he left Terrace House. He’s pleasantly surprised that not only will he be arriving back at his tiny apartment, but Sho will be accompanying him; moving in._

* * *

Keigo stumbles through the door and into the house, absolutely drained from his long photoshoot. Unlike one of his previous photos, Keigo is clad in all sorts of clothing. A beanie covers his fading blonde hair, only a few strands poking out. He’s wearing one of his long trench coats over a white sweatshirt and black jeans, a pair of black boots coming up to cover his ankles. Only the top half of his face is shown, the bottom covered by a black and red scarf gifted by his mother. 

The older is, once again, in the kitchen. Junki’s hunched over a cookbook at the island, fingers tapping on his chin as he reads out a new recipe he’s been dying to try. He already went out and bought the ingredients earlier, but he was still scared he would mess something up and give himself all sorts of foodborne illnesses.

Junki has been cooking a lot lately. With the hours at work, he’s managed to become a side chef, but it still wasn’t enough for his liking. So he cooks at home more often than not, trying to gain new skills and show the restaurant he is working at that he has the skill sets to be a head chef, hoping one day that he could own his own restaurant. Until that day, though, Junki will be an assistant, popping around here and there to help out the other chefs in the kitchen but hasn’t made a single dish on his own yet. 

He sometimes wonders why he was even working at that restaurant in the first place.

Keigo’s hands were at his throat to take off his scarf when he noticed the other presence in the room. And he just stares, lips curving. 

He thinks Junki’s light blue apron is adorable, eyes trailing over the wide straps and little logo that he can’t make out just yet due to the older’s position.

It’s slow going as he takes off each article of winter clothing, hoping not to disturb the other and let him know of his presence. He likes the way Junki’s eyebrows furrowed in concentration, mouth open ajar. His face is soft, delicate, and Keigo just wants to stare a little bit longer.

True to his word, Junki has not kissed Keigo since last weekend. 

It’s a little better being around the blonde, seeing how close and happy and in love Sho and Ruki were. Sometimes he will think that it wasn’t his fault for their separation, but then the thoughts get overrun by how Junki could have been the homewrecker. He didn’t know what went behind closed doors with the past couple, didn’t know if Keigo had started acting weird, or if Sho spotted little love bites Junki accidently left.

Even with the couple gone now, only four remaining in the house until new boys come, it’s still on his mind. 

Here he thought he would never get between people in a relationship, but look where he is now.

Junki hears the younger before he sees him; he hears the swishing of material brushing against itself as Keigo takes off his jacket slowly. The older lifts his head to the noise, spotting the sheepish model.

“H-hey,” Keigo stutters, pulling off his beanie. It makes his hair messy, and Junki snorts at the look. He wills his blush to stop creeping up his neck from the familiarity of it, head dropping back down into the cookbook. 

Keigo makes his way to the older, always curious about what he will be making next.

“Seafood.”

For second it doesn’t register, but when Junki points to the picture of what he wants to make — seafood stew — the younger hums in acknowledgement. The picture looked tasty, with shrimp, mushrooms, and scallops visible but he knows there must be more ingredients. 

Junki has always had a love hate relationship with the food. While he loved to eat it, he could never get the food to cook right. Junki swipes a hand through his hair, standing up as he’s starting to feel a little bit more confident. It’s now or never.

“Can I help?” It’s quiet and timid, and Junki hates the reminder. His hands paused as he was reaching for one of the bottom cabinets to pull out the pot he needed. The older’s head whipped around at the question, eyes squinting.

Keigo saw how the older looked stressed. It made him feel bad, so he thought that he would help, or at least give encouragement to Junki as he cooked. Junki has mentioned quite a few times of how hard seafood was for him despite growing up with it around him every single day. Keigo knew a thing or two about the food; his parents always bought the most expensive seafood they could find, and Keigo would waltz into the kitchen like it was nothing as he watched his nanny cook dinner. When he could finally see over the side of the stove, he quietly observed her cook, learning through the visuals.

Junki’s suspicious of the blonde’s question, but huffs anyway as he returns to getting out the right size pot. Keigo takes that as his cue to help, glancing over the recipe and then heading over to the fridge where he assumes the older placed the ingredients.

They work in quiet silence, almost comfortable except for when Keigo gets too close to Junki, a body part brushing against the older. 

It makes his mind reel, and Junki just knows that he won’t be making a safe-to-eat seafood dish any time soon.

“No, you have to cut these up smaller, Keigo-kun,” Junki sighs as he glances over towards the blonde, seeing his god awful chopping skills. 

Keigo thought he was doing fine, but the mushroom slices were way too thick. Junki puts down his own knife, used for chopping celery, and wipes his hands clean as he moves towards Keigo’s makeshift station. Junki picked up a thick mushroom slice, scrunching his nose and locking eyes with Keigo.

“You think this is acceptable?” The older smirks, shaking his head. It was laughable, seeing Keigo try to cook. He might have seen this too many times to count, but as he’s never done it before his skillset was still below even a beginners. Junki picks up Keigo’s knife, warm to the touch. It sends a shiver down his spine, and Junki gulps as he shows Keigo how to properly cut the food.

Keigo’s trying to concentrate, he really is. But Junki is so close to him, side pressed together to be able to use the cutting board that’s laid out in front of Keigo and the younger didn’t seem like he was going to move. Keigo’s never seen someone so beautiful as Junki before, it's making his heart do things that've never happened. He likes the sound of Junki’s voice as he’s explaining his cutting method, eyes focused so he doesn’t accidentally cut himself trying to slice the mushroom even smaller. It’s more difficult due to the small size, having less to work with but Junki manages. 

He doesn’t even realize Keigo’s eyes weren’t looking at the chopping in front of him until Junki picks up his head. 

“Y-you’re on mushroom duty! Do you want to learn how to cook or not?” Junki’s stuttering. His face is close with the younger’s now, much too close and Junki would have kissed him right then and there if it were weeks ago but it’s not and Junki’s turned into a coward. He’s moving to go back to his celery when Keigo speaks up.

“‘M sorry, I must be a little distracted,” Keigo confesses, scratching the nape of his neck. He lets out a breathy chuckle, gaining the attention of the older. Junki can only assume by the sad look on the younger’s face what he means. 

“Get Sho out of your head, will you? You’re gonna hurt yourself,” he’s poking at the physical and emotional aspect of the situation, leaning against the counter as he looks on with an equally pained expression.

Keigo scoffs, shaking his head lightly.

“He is out of my head. The problem is . . . is that you are the one that’s not.”

Junki’s hands go weak and _god_ he won’t be able to make any decent food for the time being now. 

“D-don’t say that,” the older hisses, hands clammy. It’s aggravating to no end, the way Keigo can come across so smoothly making Junki’s stomach twist. 

Keigo clicks his tongue, rolling it over his teeth as he turns back to his mushrooms, chopping them perfectly.

* * *

The stew comes out perfectly, almost too perfect for the way Junki couldn't concentrate but he doesn’t question it. Instead he plays it off as he was a great teacher, hovering over Keigo as he told him how to stir the pot. 

Keigo moans at the flavor of the dish, exaggerating but he wants to see the smile on Junki’s face.

“We make a pretty good team, yeah?”

Junki’s face flushes, and he dips his head to get another spoonful of stew so he didn’t have to answer. They worked well together, Junki couldn’t deny it. Whenever Junki told him to do something, giving tips here and there, Keigo was quick to pick it up. He’s surprised at how well the younger accommodated to the kitchen, listening to Junki with just a smile and the shake of his head as if to say _I got this._

A little while later, when their bellies are full and the bowls empty, the doorbell rings. Junki perked up quickly at that, bringing his chair forward with a harsh slam on the wooden flooring. The older boys lock eyes, but no one made a move.

The university students were locked in their rooms, studying for another exam week coming up. It was pointless to hope that one of them would come down and answer, and with Keigo still aralyzed in his chair, Junki remembers Sho’s words. So he takes a deep breath, getting up out of his chair and walking over to the intercom that he has seen Sho do multiple times over.

“Yes?” Junki presses the button, waiting for the other to reply. A soft voice comes through, bringing an immediate grin to the older’s face, “yes, come in!”

A minute later, a blonde head peered around the door entering into the space of the living room, eyes wide. The newcomer lets out a light giggle, opening the door even wider to reveal his light colored clothes and large suitcase.

“Hello! My name is Ohira Shosei, it’s very nice to meet you,” the new roommate — Shosei — bowed politely, still leaning on the extended handle of his suitcase. His smile is small, shy as he gazes around and doesn’t meet Keigo’s or Junki’s eyes.

Junki smiles at the boy, sensing his happy albeit shy aura. He offers Shosei a seat at the dining table, and the boy sits down next to Keigo. 

“I’ve known quite a few Shosei’s in my time, but never an Ohira,” Junki begins, giddy, “so what do you do?”

“I’m a senior music major at a university nearby, studying classical music. Piano’s my favorite instrument, and I would have brought my keyboard along but I wasn’t sure . . .” his voice trailed off, shy. Shosei didn’t want to disturb the other roommates if he were to play the keyboard, and although he could plug in headphones to it it was never the same and always messed up the younger when practicing. 

“No, you should have brought it! I love music!” Junki exclaimed, hands flailing around. Keigo chimed in with an agreeing statement, sending a bright smile the younger’s way that has him breaking eye contact quickly. 

“Doorbell?” Syoya’s head pops out from behind the corner upstairs, only his face showing. His glasses are sliding down his nose, so he reaches around to push them back up.

“Syoya, that happened like five minutes ago! And yes, we have a new roommate. Meet Ohira Shosei, he seems to be the same age as you and Sukai,” Junki encourages the economics student to come down the stairs and meet their new roommate. 

They exchange greetings, finding out that they were attending the same university. It happens all over again when Sukai comes out of his room too, hair disheveled and eyes squinting at the bright lights. 

“O-oh, you look familiar!” Shosei exclaims. He clasps his hands over his mouth once his own words enter his ears, red appearing on the tips of them. 

“M-me?” Sukai wonders where Shosei would have seen him. Sukai was attending the same university that Ruki did, which was a little further away from the one that Shosei and Syoya were at. And even if he were at the same one as the other two, his major was chemistry. That was vastly different from Shosei’s creative one. 

“Um . . . yeah. Either that or you have a doppelganger who works at the library,” Shosei chuckled lightly, full on embarrassed. There was only one library (save for the universities’ own) that was close to both of the universities. Shosei would often go to that one, since it was much quieter than the one at his own college. Not to mention it was also closer to Shosei’s off-campus apartment, where he often couldn’t concentrate due to the rowdy nature of his friends that have become his roommates for their senior year.

Sukai hums in affirmation. He didn’t work there often, now picking up less shifts due to the strain of his major and final project, but he has been there for the past couple of weeks. Mostly, he sits at the desk as he studies his own books, looking up every now and again when someone wants to check out of a book or ask for help with the Dewey Decimal system.

They’re bonding quietly over this new information until the doorbell rings yet again, and Junki forces Syoya to answer this time. The younger rolls his eyes, heart pounding at the sudden noise.

“Hello? I am here to move in tonight,” a loud voice calls out. Syoya replied back with enthusiasm, telling him to come in. 

The five boys can hear bumping coming from the mudroom, suitcase banging into the wall or the floor, and soft curse words muffled by the wall. Junki laughs, wondering who was the last roommate to enter. He’s already excited to meet him.

Everyone is staring at the brown-haired male when he opens the door, eyes bugging out of his face in embarrassment. In an instant he knew that they heard him stumbling, face red.

“H-hi. Sorry about that. My name is Tsurubo Shion. I hope you can forgive me for whatever messes I create,” there’s a cheeky undertone with the statement, but Shion is very serious in that he knows he will mess up something at least once in his stay.

Keigo laughs at the younger, encouraging him to come and sit down at the dining table with the rest of them. He sits next to Syoya; the only seat left. 

“Nope, don’t say anything. I’m gonna guess this one,” Junki squints his eyes at the new housemate, wondering if he was also a student, or some worker somewhere. Shion snorts, raising a single eyebrow as Junki gives him a once over.

“Aha! I got it!” He grins, “you work at a bank.”

Junki was so sure of himself, only to deflate when Shion laughed in his face.

“N-no,” he wheezes, “I’m a student. I just came back from studying abroad in Korea. I do kind of work with numbers though, but I’m a techie. Computer science major,” he grins, feeling victorious in faking out the new eldest of the roommates. 

And the rest of the night goes on like that, teasing and getting to know one another. It reminds Junki of the first night he moved in, way back in late September. 

It feels good to go back to that day again, happy and carefree. He feels this new group will help him a lot, and is looking forward to the rest of his time at the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't remember if i made keigo rich-rich but he's going to be rich-rich now
> 
> me??? writing almost 4k words for a chapter??? who is she??


	32. Episode 32. "Another Episode of Where Sukai Gets Annoyed"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colbie Calliat - Bubbly

Now that Sukai knew the younger had seen him at the library, Shosei sneaks a ride with Sukai one day as he’s headed out to work.

“Oh, can I come with? I’ve been meaning to get some books lately,” Shosei brightens when Sukai announces, then writes on the chalkboard that he will be at work for the next couple of hours. Sukai nods lightly in response, going to put Shosei’s name down next to his.

The two enjoy a calming ride together as Sukai drives the Jeep. 

It definitely wasn’t smart of the younger to take a shift this close to exams week, but it wasn’t like he had a choice. Everyone else called out sick, or also used the excuse of exams and the manager practically begged the younger to take it, reminding him of pay and a quiet environment.

 _Yeah right, a quiet environment._ Sukai thinks, knowing that it’s always busy this time of year. With it freezing cold outside and having students being cooped up with certain (loud) roommates, the library was the perfect escape for them. It didn’t help when exams were coming up hot, more students piling in to get a last minute cram session in. Not only that, but citizens alike come to the library as well; young families bringing their children in when it was around the holiday time for the new books coming out or the children’s movies playing weekly. 

They arrive minutes later, both clamoring out with their backpacks full of heavy books that they’ll hopefully be studying from. 

The cramming session didn’t come for Sukai, unfortunately. He was stuck at the front desk, throwing harsh glances over his shoulder at much too noisy students. Then when he would turn around there would be another one asking where the bathroom was — _right down the hall_ — or where the history books were — _third floor, in the 900s, all the way in the back_ — and maybe it was driving him insane.

There was no way he could cram for his advanced inorganic chemistry class. It was by far one of his hardest classes this semester, and with the loudness of students and families coming into the library, Sukai couldn’t even study a single word. 

He groaned, burying his head in his hands as he’s just come to accept his fate of failing his exam — he doubts he would have passed even with studying, as his professor liked to give weirdly worded questions on topics that they haven’t even covered yet — and instead he scrolls lazily through the database on the computer in front of him.

While Sukai is wrestling with his work, Shosei has creeped up to the third floor and squeezed himself between the bookcases in the music section. 

Shosei was looking for inspiration for his senior project. He had to write, produce, and perform a song with a group of students they made up themselves, combining elements from past, present, and future musical inspirations. Shosei doesn’t know what the future part would be, but he can only hope that it was each student's own little twist and what type of artists they wanted to become.

The boy’s fingers lightly touched the spine of each book as he paced down the aisle, trying to find what he was looking for. 

Shosei couldn’t help himself. He was in love with the music from before and around the 1800s. So what if he had a whole playlist dedicated to Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt. He liked the twinkling sounds of the piano keys from the artists, always calming him down immediately. It’s no question it was his favorite sound, reminding him of spring and happiness and family.

He’s humming one of the lesser known tunes of Chopin, finger still dancing across each of the ancient books when he stops in front of a dusty, deep blue book. The sides are starting to unbind slightly, giving away its old age. Otherwise it looks untouched and no one would have ever known it was written two hundred years ago.

Shosei carefully takes it out, fingertips tracing the gold lettering on the cover before flipping through the pages. They’re thin and frail, almost see through so Shosei has to be careful.

He’s still humming the tune until he gets a tap on the shoulder, making Shosei almost drop the fragile book. He yelps, turning around in less than a second and backing up into the bookshelf behind him. 

“S-Shion!” Shosei cried out, one hand at his throat. With the older getting scared easily, he can’t help it when his heart leaped out of his chest from Shion’s antics.

The younger is smiling, hands retracted in the air as he watches the blonde have a mini heart attack. He feels bad, but is also loving the look on the younger, with his eyes bugging out in the funniest way possible. His expression made Shion laugh harder the more he looked at his face.

“Sorry,” Shion wheezed out, “Syoya and I saw on the chalkboard that you and Sukai came here, so . . . surprise!”

And surprised Shosei was. He swatted at the younger, face red hot from embarrassment. He hated surprises, and what’s even worse was that this one was a scary one. All Shosei wanted was peace and quiet so he could work on his senior project, but looks like neither of the boys who went to the library will get to do what they hoped for. 

“What book is that?”

Shosei almost forgot about the little blue book. He glanced down at his hands, book closed almost completely shut except for a single finger keeping the page he was looking at before Shion scared him. 

“To put it simply, it’s a book about the earlier pianists, 1900s and before” Shosei quirked his lips, still looking at the book. It describes the life, inspiration, and music style of early pianists and was exactly what the older needed. 

His group would be performing a ballad song, and he was in charge of the piano. One of the members in his group was Suzuki Gen, accompanying the blonde pianist with the guitar. The younger was into arrangements of the beats and various sounds, and the group made him the main composer of the song. Last to their group was Tokonami Shion, their main singer. The other boys would be backing up Shion as well. The music students have gotten to know each other over the past few years, only getting closer as friends in their junior year when they met in a composing class. From then on, they decided to continue their little group and go all the way in the senior group project.

Shion swung an arm around the older’s shoulder to bring him closer, not caring about how they only met days ago. He looked over his shoulder to where Shosei opened up the book again. The words were fading slightly, but still legible. 

“Who is this?” Another question comes out of the younger's mouth as Shion’s finger pointed at a long name that he couldn’t even comprehend, nevermind try to pronounce. It was a Russian pianist from the last 1800s, and to be honest Shosei didn’t know how to pronounce it either. Instead, he just shook his head, flipping through more pages until his eyes scanned another familiar name.

“Ah! Rubinstein, yes, his work is beautiful!” Shosei exclaims, eyes shining as they skim the words. 

Shion hums along, clearly bored and wanting Shosei to pay attention to him. He knew the older students were at the library to work and study, but it still didn’t register that much to Shion as he walked up the steps of the building with Syoya, bursting through the doors and giving Sukai yet again another headache. 

Shosei huffs as Shion taps on his shoulder, a rhythm that’s fast and erratic and drives the older insane.

“What do you want, Shion? I need to study this,” he huffs, shrugging his shoulder to get the younger off of him. Shion pouts, rolling his eyes as he comes back in front of Shosei. He rocks back and forth on his heels, not saying a word but it speaks volumes to the blonde. 

“Fine! Fine, I’ll go check out the book for later,” it was the older’s turn to roll his eyes, lightly bumping his shoulder with the younger’s as he could never intentionally hurt someone no matter how mad he was. Shion giggled at the action, hand grabbing at the older's pale yellow sweatshirt to keep up with his fast pace.

When they make it back to the first floor, Syoya is at the counter when Sukai is, chatting his ear off. 

“-nd I told him, right, that I couldn’t. There was no way I was going to help him kill the guy, he was my friend!” Syoya exclaimed, a talker with his hands. Shion snorted as he came within earshot, and Shosei just wanted to turn around. 

“Syoya-kun, we don’t go killing people here. It’s against the law, remember?” Shion came up behind the black-haired male, once again surprising another housemate. Syoya is quick to recover, though, and smiles brightly with a scoff.

“That’s why I said no, you silly goose,” he crosses his arms across his chest. Sukai wants to drop his head on the desk in front of him — hard.

“What are you idiots talking about?” The librarian groaned, half of his body laid across the cool wood. He almost didn’t want to know, but at the word ‘kill’ he just became too curious.

“Actually, yeah. What are you talking about?”

“Monster Hunter!” Syoya says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world, voice loud, “and some guy wanted me to kill one of my friends, but no. He was on my team, I can’t do that.”

“Monster Hunter?” Shosei chimes in for the first time. The three other boys give him a questioning look, wondering how the sweet looking boy knew about the violent game. Shosei walked up to Sukai and placed the ancient book on the desk to check out as he continued, “that’s a fun game, I didn’t know you played.”

“I didn’t know _you_ played,” Syoya retorts back, raising in pitch. So what if he gets loud when he gets excited. He calls it an endearing trait, almost charming.

“Well, I’m not an expert or anything but I dabbled in the game,” Shosei watches Sukai scan his book, giving the slightly younger his library card to put the book on it. 

“Oh my god, we have to play sometime then! I played with Shion last night, and let me tell you — _horrible_ ,” while the rest of his sentence was loud, Syoya whispered the last word to Shosei. It was still loud though, quite clearly meant for the others (Shion) to hear him. Shion bites back, hand raising to go in for the kill until Sukai tells them to quit it.

“I swear if you yell one more time in my library I will find the thickest dictionary I can get my hands on and hit you so hard on the back of the head,” he threatens in a dead serious tone. It makes the new roommates that much more scared of the brown-haired student, but all Syoya does is stick his tongue out, giving him the stink eye. 

The two have become a little closer each day, though still coming at each other with harsh teases now and again. It wasn’t like them not to, and Syoya felt a little weird if they went a full twenty four hours without some sort of biting remark. 

“T-thanks for the book, Sukai,” Shosei grabs the book and his little receipt to remind him when the book is due back. 

Shion is quick to pull the other two with him, away from the librarian and to the other side of the first floor. They’re weaving in between bookcases now, out of sight from the still glaring librarian. It doesn’t help him when a mother comes by with her young daughter to check out a few children’s books, the male still seething from his roommates loud noises. 

When they’ve reached the farthest corner away from Sukai, Syoya bursts out in laughter, a hand trying to muffle them. He loved seeing the younger so riled up, thinking it was cute when his face turned red. It left a weird feeling in his stomach, still thinking that he shouldn’t be, but with Sukai being so soft and quieter than usual during his sick week Syoya’s feelings instantly softened. 

He talked to his mother that week as well. It was a mistake when he let out what happened to the precious food, but his mother only laughed at the younger and told him that there was always more she could bring up to go around. Their conversation relaxed him more as he relayed the events over the past few weeks, and seeing things from his mother’s perspective made him rethink all the nasty things Syoya said to the librarian. He’s decided to not be mean to the younger, always a little part of him deep down hating the way those harsh words came out so easily. But in his defence he would defend his mother and her kindness till the day he dies.

“How are you not scared of him?” Shosei said, breaking Syoya out of his thoughts. The black-haired male only shrugged, a corner of his mouth quirking upward.

An hour later, the boys have since calmed down enough to sit in the sofas in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror. It overlooked a vast field that is now covered with snow, a forest peeking out along the horizon. Shion’s distracted by the wind picking some excess snow off the bushes, and Shosei has a notebook out as he reads the little blue book laid out in front of him.

Syoya had left them a while ago, climbing the stairs onto the second floor. Since he was at the library, and Shosei started on his own project, Syoya thought that he might as well get going on his own. 

He had a good review session with his advisor over his thesis, the man complimenting his research work and giving needed critics. Syoya thinks he can write a few more pages just by the suggestions his advisor made, and it makes him happier that he is that much closer to being finished.

Sukai finds him like this; on his tiptoes, reaching for a book that Syoya knows he will never grasp since it's on the highest shelf but he gives it a try anyway. Sukai looks on with a smirk, watching the older bouncing on his toes, fingertips inches away. They weren’t even close.

And then an irritated look comes across the older’s face, backing up to get a better look at the book. And he backs up even more, and more, and more until he’s in line with the start of each bookcase. Syoya wants a book that is lined against the wall, and finds it very convenient that the book is right in the open space between two bookcases that were perpendicular to the wall.

Syoya gives himself a running start, bending knees. He’s about to go until he feels a soft hand touch his arm, yanking him up into a standing position.

Sukai comes into his view, giving him a less than impressed look. 

“I can’t believe you were going to try and run and jump to get that book,” he shakes his head at the older, clicking his tongue. Sukai could only imagine the doom that would ensue when Syoya missed — it was inevitable — and knocked down multiple books instead of getting the one he wanted.

“And what about it?” Syoya retorts, pushing his glasses further up his nose and then crossing his arms over his chest. He shifts his weight onto one foot, “and I thought you were downstairs. When did you get up here?”

“It’s my turn for stacking duty,” Sukai points to the cart filled with books before walking down the aisle, pointing to the top shelf, “is it this green one?”

Syoya nods lightly, feet subconsciously taking him towards the younger as Sukai reaches up and grabs the book with ease. It was about the beginning of the stock market. Part of Syoya’s research was on the roller coaster of a ride of the stock market, why and how it crashes as to lessen its chances to do so in the future.

“T-thanks,” Syoya’s embarrassed now, taking the hard cover book from the younger. 

“Just don’t do anything stupid, I have work to do,” Sukai scoffs, shoulder brushing against the younger that could have been done in a way harsher way but it wasn’t. Syoya was grateful for it, already trembling slightly at the embarrassment. 

Hours later, the four university students pile into the Jeep as Sukai drives them home, one hand on the steering wheel while the other is rubbing his head from their conversation.

“Monster Hunter's at eight, yeah?” Syoya’s the one to start the conversation.

Shosei hums in agreement, one headphone in his ear playing classical music while the other is out, ear free to listen to Shion’s screams of the same affirmation.

“And I’m going to beat your ass at it this time, too! Rematch!”

“Sukai?”

Sukai turns his head at the one in the passenger seat who said his name. It’s obviously with intent of getting him to join their video game marathon, and the younger can only think that it would give him a bigger headache than he already has. But he sighs deeply, agreeing nonetheless as he plans to take a small bottle of headache pills in with him. Just in case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was gonna do a yonaruki side fic earlier and it was coming out bad and then i was gonna redo it and that one is kinda hard too and i have no idea why but idek if i'll post it or not
> 
> i hope my long and kinda run on sentences don’t annoy you, i’ve always had a problem with them


	33. Episode 33. "It's Getting Brighter"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nissy - Addicted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILER!!!!!
> 
> YES i made mame sukai's brother and YES i am calling him issei and YES Sukai calls him mame sometimes even though it doesn't make sense and YES i know i put him earlier in the fic but i literally just came up with this idea as i was writing this chapter and i don't want it to be anyone else so i am going to go back and change the other mame's in the story to other pdjp trainees and what are you gonna do about it? you're going to deal with it. if it wasn't obvious enough i'm not going to put that minor in this household

Syoya was already in the playroom by the time the other college seniors rolled around.

Shion was the first to bust open the door, just as enthusiastic about playing video games as Syoya was, if not more. He came in like a whirlwind, the door to the playroom banging against the wall and cushions dipping at an inhumanly fast rate when Shion ran over them to sit besides the older. 

“How do you have this much energy?” Syoya huffs, staring at the younger with wide eyes. Syoya knew he himself could be intense at times, but he brown-haired male just took it to a whole new level.

Shosei came in next, a few minutes later. 

The blonde had changed into grey sweats, complimenting the pale yellow sweatshirt he still had on. He was definitely more quiet than Shion as he came in, a hand coming to knock lightly on the door even though it was already open because of the younger.Shosei entered after than, lightly padding over to where the other two roommates sat fighting over the controllers.

“Shion-kun, you asshole! I was literally using that, you can’t just take it out of my hands!”

“But this one has a cooler design,” Shion huffs, hands gripping the controller between them tighter.

“That’s why I was using it!” Syoya chuckles, getting leverage and kicking the younger lightly in the stomach enough to where the brown-haired male released the controller and fell over.

He whimpered when his head landed on the cushions below, clearly not hurt but only trying to play the guilt card. Syoya wasn’t even paying attention to him anyway, eyes flickering over to the new arrival who was standing at the edge of the cushioned floor when he backed up, realizing Shion would toppled him over if he didn’t move.

“Ah! Just the person I wanted to see,” Syoya grinned, waving the younger over. 

He made Shosei grab a controller from the box of video games in the corner before pulling him to sit down next to him, excited to see what the younger one had to offer. Syoya’s still confident in his abilities, though, knowing he could beat anyone in the house. He smirks when the younger grabs the purple, galaxy-like print of one of the remaining controllers. 

Syoya almost wasn’t expecting Sukai to come in, but he does just when the other three have given up, about to play a round by themselves.

He walks in front of the door timidly, wondering if he should go in or not when Shion screams at seeing the older.

_So much for not getting another headache._

Sukai wants to wipe the smirk right off of Syoya’s face when he notices, rolling his eyes at the older. Shosei is his favorite right now, sending him a small smile and handing him the last controller. It was pure black, the only colors on it being for the shapes on the buttons. Sukai snorts at seeing it, sitting cross-legged into the open space next to Shion. 

“Happy of you to join us, Kai-chan,” Syoya sings out, waiting for the younger to get situated. The younger grumbles at the nickname that Syoya gave him when he was sick, making grabby hands and whining for attention as his mind was muddled with irrational thoughts, things he would never even think to do otherwise.

Shortly after, they create their characters and are placed in the virtual world, running around the map in hopes to find weapons or armor.

“Shion, what are you even doing?” The youngest was currently moving his character in tight circles, playing around with the controls and not focusing on helping his team out at all.

“Maybe this is why you’re so god damn bad at the game.”

Shion flicks the older’s forehead at that one, reaching over Shosei to do so. Shosei, in turn, gets startled by the sudden hnd in his vision, launching himself backwards to get away from Shion, only to then find a bed of cushions beneath him. He whines out, taking a jab at Shion that the youngest dodges in haste.

“Shion, stop being dumb,” the other brown-haired male told him, acting as if he was much older when in reality it was only by a few months. The two began bickering nonstop then, going back and forth in teasing each other while the other two drowned them out, eyes flickering back to the screen before them. It gets intense, curse words flying this way and that between the two, but it was only childsplay as it didn’t mean as much as it did with Syoya and Sukai a month earlier.

“All I am saying is that you shou-”

Sukai’s rant is cut off by his phone buzzing in his pocket. No one else hears it though, giving him a questioning look until he takes out his phone and the vibration becomes louder. Syoya pauses the game just as Sukai answers, silencing the background music coming from the tv.

“Mame?” And Sukai’s voice instantly softened at the sound of his younger brother’s voice.

The teenager was always consistent with his calls to his brother, them having long talks several times a week. After the older left for college four years ago, he missed his brother deeply. They always had a special bond, each other’s best friend their whole lives, so when Sukai left it hit his brother hard.

“Issei, what’s up?” Suaki continued, sinking back down into the cushions. The roommates instantly relaxed at the soft tone in Sukai’s voice, though still a little scared by the duality from before. Sukai doesn't even notice, his full attention given to his younger brother.

“Sukai! I need a distraction from my homework, please distract me!” His brother whined into the phone, voice going high pitched. He always used the baby voice with Sukai, knowing he was the only one to still react to it in the way that Issei wanted. Sukai chuckled, and Syoya’s eyes went wide. It was a completely different sound and Syoya wanted whoever was on the other side of the phone to move into the house right away so Sukai could be this kind all the time. 

“Buddy, you have to do your homework though,” Sukai saighed, kicking his feet out and leaning against the side of the mini wall. Issei was a senior in high school, so close to graduating and he just needed a little more of a push to finish out the year strong instead of barely getting by. 

“Well I can’t I . . . I miss you,” and it comes out, the truth behind Issei’s call. Sukai knew it though, he always called when he was missing his brother a little extra that day. 

Sukai tsked at that, head rolling back until it hit the top of the mini wall jutting out from the regular wall. It was a bad idea, but after the bad day he had today it wouldn’t hurt to be with his younger brother more. He always made Sukai feel better, his laugh bringing an automatic smile to Sukai’s face and wishing away his headaches.

“Well, I’m playing Monster Hunter right now, you know that game, yeah?” Sukai starts. The others are still looking on curiously, and perk up at the mention of the game.

_What was Sukai thinking?_

“Of course, I play it all the time! Mom says I play it too much,” his brother adds on sheepishly, then continues, “but I didn’t know you played video games, Sukai-kun!”

“Yeah, I got kind of, uh, roped into it to say the least,” Sukai rubs the back of his neck, voice going soft. He glances at the other roommates or the first time, seeing their wide eyes and confused faces. He almost wants to laugh, and turns away quickly from their prying eyes.

“But what I am saying is, is that do you want to play? We can do multiplayer, and I can give you the code to join our game,” Sukai says, not even consulting with his roommates. He didn’t have to, though, he knew that with one glare they would instantly shut up and let Sukai take over. When Sukai and his brother said their goodbyes, he chuckled at the giggle Issei made, practically seeing the younger jump around at the offer. Issei said he would go get his headset on, and Sukai could hear the feet pounding as Issei ran up the stairs.

“Who was that, Sukai-kun?” Syoya asked, twisting his body so it was more angled at the younger. 

“Ah, my younger brother. I hope you don’t mind that I just invited him out of the blue like that,” Sukai’s awkward now, not one for showing much affection or emotion to anyone other than his brother. It was obvious to everyone else, though, how much the brown-haired boy cared for him, making sure he had extra time in the day to talk with him. 

“We don’t mind, that’s just one more person to help us kill the monsters!” Shosei chimed in, face bright. It made Sukai calm down a little bit, seeing their positive reactions.

“And you guys, you’re going to have to stop swearing all the time. Got it? He’s only seventeen,” Sukai mentioned before he forgot with a pointed finger aiming at all of their faces. He knows the others liked to swear and throw various insults around. He wasn’t going to corrupt his younger brother if he could help it, though he can’t possibly try to conceal his life when the older was seven hours away.

That’s where Junki and Keigo found the university students, completely ignoring the one thing Sukai asked them not to do as they swore up and down, fighting a spider-like creature that spit out poison and webs at its enemies.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it, Shion! Fucking hell, don’t you die on me!” Syoya cries out as the younger was getting hit on the most by the monster. Shion is swearing now too, fingers pressing all sorts of buttons in hopes to get a combination that would save him but it's no use. He’s dead within a minute and has to watch as his screen darkens with text written over it, the others still brightly lit as they play on. 

“Shion, you said you were good!” Issei’s voice filters through the speaker of the room, voice giggling. Sukai can’t even get mad at the others swearing when Issei is still happy like that.

And it turns out that the brown-haired male was quite good at the game; strategic and calculated as they went to kill their first monster. Maybe it was the way the boy was always calm and composed, detail-orientated as he looked everywhere on his screen and not just focusing on what was immediately surrounding his character. 

“Syoya now!” Sukai cries out, willing him to use his weapon (it had the most power out of all of them) with a certain combination that would wipe the monster clean out. The black-haired boy’s fingers move rapidly across his controller, seeming to know the combination by heart as his combination works on the monster, finally killing it. 

Sukai and Shosei yell in victory, high-fiving over Shion’s body which is now laying down in between them, saddened by his loss.

“You guys are awfully loud for just a video game,” Junki waltzes into the room, eyeing the boys before looking at what game they were playing. If the loud, ferocious noises didn’t give it away earlier, it was one of the more violent games the boys had in the house.

“Junkichi, shut up. You were awfully loud too when you kept losing, don’t you remember?” Keigo walked in right behind him, getting all up in his face with raised eyebrows before stalking away and standing next to the seated Sukai. 

Junki scoffs, ready to bite back when a small voice sends a greeting from seemingly nowhere.

“Oh, hello! I hear new voices, who are they Sukai-kun?”

“God? Is that you? I didn’t think you would sound like that, though,” Junki scratches the back of his head, obviously making a joke. Keigo goes to hit the back of his friend’s head, not wanting to hear his joke but laughs anyway.

“Mame, these are the other two roommates I told you about. Junki-kun and Keigo-kun, we’re playing with my younger brother, Issei,” Sukai explains, introducing the two new boys to his brother. They all exchange greetings as well, Issei just as happy as ever. He even giggles when Junki goes to make another joke, and Junki thinks that Issei is his new favorite.

“Issei, have you been giving these guys the beat down they deserve? I can’t believe you can stand to play with them at their level,” Keigo has occasionally played video games with everyone else in the house, and to say he was disappointed was an understatement. He jokes with the teenager out loud, and it makes Issei have a full on belly laugh. 

“Hey, Mame-chan! At least your brother is good, right?” Sukai juts his bottom lip out in a pout, hearing his brother laugh at a joke at Sukai’s expense. He doesn’t even care when everyone else whips their head at the student, going to be making jokes about that for the rest of their stay at the house.

“Sukai-kun, I had to bail you out like three times, remember?” Issei’s voice floated through the speakers, still sounding happy despite his sometimes negative words. Everyone else found it hilarious.

“Okay, I’m beat. Obviously I can’t play,” Shion begrudgingly admits, “so maybe one of you wants to join?”

Shion waves his controller around in the air at the other boys, hoping for one of them to take it. There was a four player limit, having only four controllers between the boys. That means that it was a battle between Junki and Keigo.

Keigo reaches out first, one arm extending to the controller while the other is blocking the older. Junki didn’t even have a chance, with his shorter stature and shorter arms, not to mention he was further away from Shion in the first place. It was quite unfair, really. 

So now it was Syoya, Shosei, Sukai and Keigo playing Monster Hunter, while Junki and Shion watched from the sidelines, both with frowns on their faces.

As Keigo begins to get into the game, Junki can’t help but to notice his voice.

God, his _voice._

It was a curse, really. Maybe it was a good thing that Junki wasn’t playing right now because, god, it would have been very hard to focus if he were. The blonde’s voice has become deeper, more authoritative as he shouted at the younger members commands and what to do. It seemed like Keigo also knew the game well, moving swiftly through the map and surprising everyone in the room. 

When the blonde’s tongue began to poke through his lips in concentration, Junki absolutely lost it. Maybe he wasn’t so over Keigo after all.

He ran out of the room in a second, needing water in his system. It was getting hot and Junki was so dehydrated. He didn’t even realize the smirk that came from Keigo when he saw the other getting up, Syoya pestering the blonde about why he was in such a hurry. Keigo only shrugged, deciding to call it early and give the controller back to Shion as he went after the boy. 

He found Junki standing over the sink, one hand gripping the side of the counter while the other held a tall glass of water in his hands. He could only come up with so many reasons as the blonde approached Junki, taking it in strides.

The older jumped at the light tap on his shoulder, as if being struck by lightning. 

“W-what? Why aren’t you up with the kids?” Junki’s voice wobbles, some of the water splashing over the side of the glass. Keigo quirks an eyebrow and Junki has to look away.

“Why are you down here? What happened?” Keigo steps closer, leaning on the counter now. He brings himself down to eye level with the older even though Junki still wasn’t making eye contact. He doesn’t look up until Keigo’s feet appear in his view, whipping his head up and stumbling backwards.

“I can’t have a glass of water in peace?” Junki finds it in him, somehow, to bite back a retort. It makes Keigo chuckle lightly, and Junki squints. 

And then Junki’s intentions have completely changed.

He’s kissing Keigo in the middle of the kitchen where the other roommates could walk in at any second but Junki doesn’t care because he can’t let Keigo get away again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why was this chapter lowkey hard to write? i didn't even write as much as i used to. also i don’t know how to play monster hunter i based this purely off of google images and my experience with other video games and maybe i am making this up as i go along 
> 
> if you haven’t noticed already i’m basing the house off of the latest terrace house - Tokyo 2019-2020


	34. Episode 34. "Happy Birthday To Me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> isn't proofread yet lmao
> 
> might add details later too but i just wanted to get this out

It was a quiet week this week. Everyone in the house was busy with either taking exams, studying for their exams, or going to work.

Currently, the university students were holed up in their own rooms, studying for their remaining exams for the second half of the week. Meanwhile, Junki was watching the new episodes of Terrace House in the playroom while Keigo was finishing up yet another photoshoot.

Shion had come downstairs for a light snack to sneak back into his room when his phone rang loud and clear (he was one of those people with his ringer on, not on for using the vibrate).

"Mom? To what do I owe the pleasure?" The younger giggled, throwing an apple into the air.

"To what pleasure do you owe?" His mother repeated in disbelief, "well I sure hope you didn't forget your birthday!" The brown-haired boy almost dropped the apple as it came down, a heavy weight in his hand. Of course he didn’t; it was in the back of his mind all day. But he didn’t say anything.

Shion always liked quiet birthdays, never overstating the day because to him it was _just_ another day. Every year his mother would ask him if he wanted a birthday party, or to do something special for it and every year he would respond the same way; that he just wanted some peace and quiet and for everything to go on the same way as always. Shion’s mother didn’t understand why her son never liked to celebrate the day he was brought into the world and she thinks she never will.

But lately she has been more accommodating to the boy, sending a birthday wish at some point during the day to remind him that he aged up another year. Every year, the wish would come a little later, fearing that saying ‘happy birthday’ would annoy the boy. So if it came later in the day at least he would still have most of the day for it would be out of his mind. 

Shion appreciated it, really, since he just never liked festivities anyways. Every day was a festivity to him, and to celebrate trivial holidays was almost like a waste. Shon lived life in the present, a smile on his face and a trip in his step. But when he was younger, there wasn’t much he could do when he hadn’t even reached double digits yet. 

“Thank you, mom,” he said quietly back, leaning heavily on the counter. 

It was December 11th, Shion’s birthday. He’s now been alive for two decades, and it’s starting weigh on him; all the experiences and friends he’s met along the way. He laughs lightly just thinking about it. 20 should be a joyous occasion for most, but Shion’s stuck leaning against the counter with wobbly knees, no one else in the room and he’s only talking to his mom. 

“I know you don’t want to hear it, but what kind of mother would I be if I don’t say happy birthday? Remind you of how old you are, why you’re alive?” Another mini lecture seems to be coming, but she holds off for Shion’s birthday. 

It was a couple of hours after dinnertime, and Shion looked out across the dining room to the living room, eyes glancing to the left and out into the pitch black through the large glass window panes.

It’s his one day to get a pass, one day a year where he can do whatever he wants and no one can tell him otherwise. He likes this day to be his quiet one of the year, always rowdy throughout the other days and sometimes his energy simply cannot keep up.

Shion picks at the price tag sticker on the apple in complete silence. It was quiet all day because he hadn’t told anyone about his birthday, only chiming in about his age during the first day when he found out that most of the other roommates were seniors in college so he just had to say he was too. Everyone else knew that he must have a birthday coming up, due to his age and status in college, but the date wasn’t revealed as the topic switched as quickly as it came and wasn’t asked about again.

“I know how old I am mom, but it’s not a big deal. Really,” Shion tries, he really tries. And his mother can hear the slight distress in his voice, so she backs off because this was his day after all. She only nagged him three hundred and sixty four days of the way (three hundred and sixty five on a leap year), so holding off for a few hours more wouldn’t kill her. 

“Okay, sweetheart. I know, I just wanted to send you some good birthday wishes but I’ll stop for now. Let’s talk about something else then, what about your stay at Terrace House so far? How are your roommates?”

And the two begin to talk about that now, Shion becoming slightly more livelier as the talk distanced itself from birthdays and more about his new found friends. Being at the house for only a week or so, there wasn’t much to talk about but Shion gives his first impressions and hopes for the future.

“Most of them are my age, so it’s really fun a lot of the time! But they totally found my video game weakness,” the brown-haired boy grumbled into the phone, a finger nail digging into the skin of his apple. His mother laughs lightheartedly at his comment.

“Well you just have to try harder, then yeah?” Shion snorts. His mother was one of the rare ones, always encouraging him in anything Shion does (especially video games). Though maybe it was because Shion was a computer science major, and was always fascinated with apps and computers and the electronics behind them. It was probably due to his mother’s encouragement to find his passion that he decided to major in technology, soon figuring out that he too wanted to create games that everyone was obsessed with.

But he still wasn’t the best at video games and it made him slightly more than mad.

Shion whines at his mother that he’s been trying, but thinks he should probably just stick to the behind the scenes instead.

And when they’re done talking, his mother whispers to him another happy birthday that he just brushes off, promising her that he will eat something unhealthy enough to validate the celebration. He chuckles as he hangs up, though the nail mark in his apple is a little bit deeper.

“It’s your birthday? Why didn’t you tell us?” Shion doesn’t know when the eldest came into the kitchen, but he’s so startled his nail digs in even further — Shion doesn’t know how that’s possible but it happened. 

And _fuck,_ there goes his peace and quiet. 

“It’s not a big deal, I just-”

“Not a big deal?” Junki screams, hands running through his hair, “birthdays are such a big deal! And you’re technically an adult now, is that not a cause for celebration enough?” 

Junki had come down from the playroom to grab a snack. Sho’s birthday episode just aired and Junki needed a breather before he could continue watching. He felt it was as good of a time as any when he left, right as Ren convinced Takumi to jump on his back to stick the decorations on the ceiling. It brought back memories that he wanted to stay inside his head a little bit longer before they were crushed, thinking that it would only be great television if the show aired Junki and Keigo’s little session in the playroom from later that night.

So instead, he keeps himself in the birthday cheer from the show earlier, and now hearing it was Shion’s birthday today he was ecstatic. Junki absolutely loved birthdays. He remembered when he was practically going crazy over making sure every detail of Sho’s was perfect, and maybe he still hates himself to this day about completely forgetting the birthday gift but it doesn’t matter now when Shion’s just standing there with no gift at all.

“Junki-kun, I don’t need a birthda-” but Junki wasn’t listening, mind wracking on how he could make the last few hours of the day memorable for the young university student before him.

“Why are you so loud, I am _trying_ to study for my exam tomorrow, emphasis on the trying because you’re so goddamn loud!” Sukai repeats as he bounds down the stairs and into the kitchen, arms crossing over his chest in irritation. This environment was not suitable for the chemistry student, one trying to keep his gpa high but it seems like it’s no use with everyone downstairs shouting.

“It’s Shion’s birthday and he didn’t tell us!” Junki is visibly upset, turning around in an instant in hopes that Sukai will help him and creating a mini birthday party for the youngest. 

“Maybe that’s the whole point-” but Shion’s drowned out by Sukai asking if it was really his birthday, Junki creating even more distressed noises and the other university students coming to see what the hell was going on in the kitchen.

“Birthday?” Shosei’s eyes brightened at the word, loving birthdays as well. 

Shion groaned, throwing the apple in the trash as he practically split the fruit in half. He wasn’t hungry anymore anyway.

Soon Keigo joins as he comes back home from work, walking into a mess of shouts and pointed fingers. 

“Hey, hey _hey_! What’s going on, you’re going to make my headache worse!” Keigo shouts instead of the normal greeting when he arrives back home. His bag drops onto one of the chairs in the dining room, pacing into the kitchen to find all the boys stopping and staring. Keigo never gets loud, so it comes as a surprise to everyone in the household. 

“It’s Shion’s birthday and we’re going to throw him a mini birthday party!”

“Hey, I did _not_ ask for a birthday party-” and the young adults start to get loud again, turning back at each other as Junki insists on celebrating this special day and Shion practically begging for them to just treat it normally. 

“Junki,” the blonde runs a hand down his tired face, seemingly older than the black-haired man now, “if Shion says he doesn’t want a party, then we shouldn’t give him a party. At least respect him for that.”

Shion whispers a quiet thank you, back digging into the counter. Junki’s about to start another argument when he glances over to see the expression on Shion’s face, deciding to give it a rest.

“Okay, how about this. Maybe you don’t like birthdays that much and don’t want to have a birthday party, that’s fine. I guess it can be a little much, but it would be a memorable one if you got drunk.”

“Junki, it’s in the middle of the week.” Keigo throws his hands up, knowing that the younger clearly took it the wrong way and still wouldn’t give up. 

“But he just turned the age to become an adult! It’s legal now for him!” And Keigo doesn’t even know why he likes the man, so he just snorts his exasperation at the older and shakes his head. Everyone else is quiet, waiting for Shion’s response.

“Junki-kun, it’s not that I don’t want to” — he kind of doesn’t want to — “but I have early classes tomorrow, and still more exams.”

“Let me at least bake you a cake or something, yeah? I’m sorry I eavesdropped on your conversation with your mom, but I swear it was only the last part! That’s how I found out,” Junki refers to the promise of Shion eating a dessert for his birthday, even if he doesn’t want anything else. It was an offer that he couldn’t refuse from his mother. And it was an offer that he simply couldn’t refuse from Junki either, giving up on arguing since he had no more energy to. 

Junki hoots in victory, already assigning everyone else parts on how they’re going to be making the cake for Shion. He opens the fridge, hand around the neck of a red wine bottle and wiggles it at Shion, urging him to try.

“That stuff is too bitter,” Shion scoffs, opening the fridge and taking one of the fruit flavored beers that Keigo loved to drink late in the evening. The others looked incredulously on him as he opened the beer with ease — it was a twist off cap, let's not kid ourselves — and downed a quarter of the drink in one sip. When he comes back up for air he just smirks at the older, loving the idea of getting drunk and baking.

Shion says he hates parties, but this was a party. 

The eldest is playing loud music as he’s mixing one of the batter bowls, Syoya doing the same. The younger looks funny with his bangs all tied up as if he has a unicorn horn on the top of his head but he’s finally able to see what he’s doing in front of him now. He finds it helps him more when he puts his hair up when studying the words on the page in front of him much more clearer.

Junki’s giggly, leaning against the counter with one elbow on it while the other hand is stirring much too slowly but he doesn’t care. He’s startled when the oven beeps as the temperature reaches the time he’s set it for, and Shosei quickly moves in between the others and the oven, clearly the only one still sober.

“Shosei, move! I need to put the batter in, or do you want to eat the cake raw?” Junki giggles, standing up from his position and moving towards the younger.

Shosei sighs as he sees him wobble slightly, “Junki-kun, the batter isn’t even in a pan. You can’t put the bowl in the oven, it will melt or explode or god knows what.”

“E-explode?” Junki’s eyes go wide at the word, nervous about what might happen. He quickly walks over to Syoya, whispering loudly into his ear that they have to find the pans, and quickly. Shosei rubs at his forehead, knowing exactly how Keigo felt when he first walked into this mess.

And Keigo is sitting at the dining table, head pounding with alcohol as he watches the other drunks trying to bake and a very drunk Junki trying to teach. Shion is playing around with the icing, decoration ideas flying through his mind at rapid rates. They shouldn’t be coming that fast, what with how many beers he’s drank in the past hour, but they do and he’s made a color for each of his ideas. There are fifteen colors so far.

He doesn’t even know where he got the food coloring.

It’s a miracle that the blonde isn’t attaching himself to Junki like the clingy drunk he is, but he deems it that he hasn’t been close enough to the younger all night so maybe that’s it. 

“Pans, pans, Junki-kun? Where are the pans?” Syoya’s spinning around in the middle of the kitchen now, much like how Shion’s character was doing the other day. He’s giggling ash he does it, slowly coming to the realization of what he was doing. Sukai stops him just as he was about to topple over, getting the batter all over the floor that he would also have to drunkenly clean up. It’s a good idea Sukai’s hand reached out when it did.

“In the bottom cabinet. No not that one, to your left. No, your other left!” Junki gives directions, and can’t hold his laughter in any longer when he purposely made Syoya open the wrong cabinet, it being full of bags of rice and cans of soup. Syoya whines, dropping to the floor with the bowl of batter still in one arm.

Shosei sighs, going to grab the bowl when a slightly more sober than drunk Sukai does it for him. He’s had a few beers as well, but not nearly enough as everyone else in the side — save for Shosei — so he and the blonde have sort of teamed up to be the parents for the night.

“Jeez, go-go sit with Keigo and Shion, or something. God,” Sukai rolls his eyes, lightly kicking the older in the butt as he goes into the cabinet to the right, knowing that was the one with the pans in it. Syoya is still grumbling about Junki leading him to the wrong one, hand on his ass and clearly over exaggerating. 

Sukai hates drunks.

Junki has just enough common sense left to grab a pan, spreading out the batter in it but not enough as he goes towards the oven with it barely balancing in his hands even though the eldest is staring at it intently. Shosei is quick to see, grabbing the pan and shoving Junki away with his hip so he doesn’t burn himself.

Junki scoffs, whining like a baby as he’s kicked out of the kitchen too, over to where the other three boys currently sat.

“Keigo,” Junki drapes himself across the blonde’s shoulders, dragging out his name, “Shosei is being exceptionally mean to me today.”

“What do you want me to do about it, huh?” The blonde plays with the older’s fingers that were on his chest, head tilting slightly to see the younger. Junki bites playfully at Keigo’s ear, not caring about who was in the room as it quickly became like that fateful day a month and a half ago. 

As Junki’s teeth are grazing the shell of Keigo’s ear, his eyes lock on Shion across the table, who was focused on the, now multiplied, colors situated in front of him. There are three new colors added now, still different from the rest. Junki’s eyes shine at them, ideas rapid. 

A finger dips into the red one, swiping over Keigo’s lips in a swift motion that shouldn’t be possible when someone was as drunk as Junki was. 

“I alway liked when your lips looked this red,” Junki giggles, flirting heavily as he’s leaning over Keigo’s shoulder far enough to see his face if the blonde was still facing forward. It doesn’t register that the others are still in the room, even though he made eye contact with Shion only a few moments earlier. It doesn’t register when some of their ears perk up at the sentence, intrigued. 

Keigo’s clingy-drunk mode has activated, eyes closing slightly as he looks at Junki with a blinding smile.

“Nope,” he pops the ‘p’, “I think it looks _much_ better on you. But, I’m curious.”

Keigo’s eyes shift to the colors in front of him, a finger sticking into blue and moving up toward Junki’s lips in retaliation.

“Now that looks much better, right?”

With his voice lowering an octave, Junki couldn’t help but feel the heat swarm through his body instantly. It wasn’t the alcohol in his stomach, no it was the feeling he got when he was with Keigo. Junki thinks he doesn’t need alcohol in his life anymore if Keigo can make him feel like this at any time. 

It definitely wasn’t the time nor the place to be doing it, but Keigo meets Junki’s lips halfway while everyone else had their full attention on the unofficial couple now, seeing the red mix with blue to make purple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if takumi could see junkeigo mixing colors man he would be so proud
> 
> also how did i write over 100000 words? i knew it probably would happen with this type of fic but it still isn't registering omgg!! thnk you all for sticking with me this far it means a lot that you enjy the fic!


	35. Episode 35. "Finally Someone Mans Up"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> GOLDN - used to
> 
> (now it's just random songs at this point)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> didn't edit yet

It should have come as a surprise to the younger roommates but it really didn’t when Keigo locked lips with Junki. 

It was kind of sweet to watch them — no pun intended — as the frosting slowly disappeared from each other’s lips. The two elders giggled into the kiss, mixing alcohol with the sugary frosting and laughing at the new combined taste that actually wasn’t that bad. It was slow and way too sensual for the university students who’ve now since averted their gaze.

Ever since a couple of days ago in the kitchen, the olders have been sneaking little kisses here and there, getting back into that routine from a month and a half ago. Junki’s slowly going back into his toxic ways of smashing and dashing, a one and done; though this time it’s only with Keigo, and it happens almost every night. 

It doesn’t help Junki and Keigo at all when the youngest hears a noise in the playroom later that Sunday, going to investigate. Shion didn’t think anyone was in there, and with the door closed it made going to explore all the more scary. Who knows what could be inside; maybe someone left the window open and something came in to escape the cold. 

A banging sound comes again, hearing stumbling inside and Shion’s getting annoyed by it. It was just random bumps with no rhythm to it, which made it all the more suspicious. 

Shion should have left it alone. He should have just left it alone.

But the brown-haired boy decided to enter the room, fearing it was some sort of animal that could be messing up the cushions or getting at the video games. And maybe he is still a little too innocent to be witnessing the act before him.

It’s not so much as a shock that the boys were all over each other, hands up shirts and lips to necks. Junki’s straddling Keigo, the bang coming from him shoving the blonde up against the mini wall as he lowered his lips down to Keigo’s collarbone. The younger’s body picks itself up off the wall slightly, leaning into Junki from the pleasurable feeling. He lets out soft moans from the slight pain Junki leaves, and Shion wants to vomit. Shion really doesn’t need to see Keigo’s hands coming around the back of Junki, one grasping at his shirt and the other cupping his ass.

The shock comes from being that they were doing it openly, in one of the rooms that could be used by anyone at any time of day. And with the door unlocked, no less.

It seems like they never learned their lesson. 

“Mom, dad, Junki and Keigo are fucking in the playroom again!” Shion yells loudly at the whole house as he runs out of the door, pulling the door shut behind him. There was no getting that image out of his mind any time soon.

Junki and Keigo scramble away from each other at the sudden noise, not even noticing Shion coming inside the room since their breaths were much too loud to hear the door opening. 

It wasn’t hard to gauge that the boys were in some sort of relationship from that night of Shion’s birthday. You don’t just kiss someone like that if you haven’t been with them for some time before, even if they were both drunk out of their minds. Now that the secret was out — Junki and Keigo knew that much when coming to the next morning with painful headaches — the elders weren’t exactly subtle about it. 

It was quite annoying to find the black-haired boy and the blonde kissing feverishly against the island counter in the kitchen, immediately turning around with a still empty stomach that now wants to make the university students throw up nothing.

“Yeah, what was it this time? Hands in the hair?” Syoya comes out of his room, smirking at the younger. He was the only one who hadn’t caught the olders yet.

He should have known better.

“N-no! They were all-” Shion makes wild hand gestures and exaggerated noises, not wanting to voice the actions with actual words that would make it more real. Syoya belts out a laugh, rolling his eyes.

The older grabs Shion's wrist, bringing him into his room quickly before Junki and Keigo come outside and yell at them for hearing their conversation. He giggles, shoving Shion into his room where he trips over his own feet and almost falls onto the two other university students inside, sitting on Syoya’s bed. 

“Hey, why wasn’t I invited?” Shion pouts at seeing everyone in the black-haired boy’s room, clearly displeased. His arms cross over his chest in a defensive manner, eyeing the two other university students in betrayal.

Shosei puts his hands up in mock defense, eyeing the boy in front of him.

“Shion, shut up,” Syoya sighs, getting him to sit down before the eldest of the students sits in his desk chair, “this is an intervention. You were stupid enough to get caught up in it.”

Syoya sends Shion a pointed look, eyebrow raised. He’s about to retaliate back when Syoya continues.

“You really didn’t know what was going on inside the playroom, did you? Come on, you’re a smart kid. Use your head,” Syoya sighs, smacking his head. He hates that now he can’t go anywhere in the house, seeing Junki and Keigo becoming more open with their ‘relationship’. 

It was nice to see how happy they made each other, but at the same time Syoya doesn’t want to see Keigo’s hand dip lower when they’re all watching a movie together, or see Junki pulling at the older’s hair and giving him a kiss on the jaw when Keigo’s at the chalkboard, writing that he was leaving for work. 

“I have absolutely no common sense, I thought you knew that?”

Shion may be a techie and school smart, but there was no way that kid has street smarts. It’s amazing how he got this far in life with his low skills out in the real world, but somehow the student managed to not kill himself in the streets of Shiga.

The older hums in acknowledgement, scoffing lightly at the comment. Even only knowing him for a few weeks now, he got the sense that Shion wasn’t necessarily smart or good at anything else other than school. It was like a light switch flipped when Shion cracked down on his school work, and Syoya always wants to be around Shion when he studies because it makes him want to study even more as well. 

“Anyways, that’s why we’re all here. ‘Cause we’ve got the brains, Shion, we knew not to go into that room,” Syoya shivers, “and we’re here to talk about an intervention.”

“A sex intervention?”

“What? No, Shion! What are you-”

“Shion what the fu-”

“God damn it, I can’t with this kid,” Syoya rubs at his eyes, ready to pull his own hair out, “I mean technically, but no. Listen, we want Junki and Keigo to go on a proper date. It’s obvious that the blonde wants one, but I think he’s just too content right now with how they’re just doing . . . whatever it is that they’re doing. But I really don’t want to see their tongues down each other’s throats anymore.”

Shosei hums in agreement while Sukai gags, hating that way Syoya gave him a mental image of the two elders. 

“Please, no more descriptions. I saw them doing the,” Sukai makes a high pitched noise, and everyone else knows exactly what he was talking about, “and it made me want to,” Sukai makes a low rumbling noise now, nose scrunching up from the memory. 

Syoya cackles at the explanation that Sukai gave, clapping his hands like a seal. 

“You know exactly- you were there!” Sukai exclaims, finger pointed at Syoya. Syoya holds his hands out towards the younger, still bent over laughing as he wants Sukai to stop talking about that fateful day. 

“But seriously, how are we going to make them go on a date?”

Shosei’s words stop everyone else in their little moment, sitting up straighter and wondering how they would make them go on a date. They could just straight up tell them; it could be the most effective but also much too embarrassing for everyone in the house. Sukai mentions that they could drop little hints here and there, lightly pushing them closer together, or mentioning date-like activities. Syoya turns that one down though, since both of the older men were much too dense to pick up on it. 

“What if one of us talks to one of them? Like you said, Keigo seems to want to take Junki on a date, rather than the other way around. So maybe that’s who one of us should talk to,” Shion speaks up, and Syoya thinks that that’s the smartest thing he has said all day.

“But who is going to talk to Keigo?”

“Well, that would be you of course,” Shion points at Syoya, and Syoya wants to take back that previous thought right away

“Me?”

“Yeah, you,” the brown-haired boy scoffs, as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. The other boys agree with vigorous nods of the head, though the eldest of the four of them doesn’t know if it’s because they agree with Shion that Syoya was the best option, or because they don’t want to do it themselves. “You’ve known Keigo the longest too, being one of the original members left. It only makes sense.”

And Syoya can’t argue with that logic. Shion bounces on the black-haired boy’s bed at his great decision, pleased with himself.

While the university students were conspiring against Junki and Keigo, the boys were busy buttoning back up their shirts to notice what was going on outside in the hall. 

“I mean, it could have been worse. We could have had our pants off,” Keigo tries to joke, and Junki hits him with the leverage he still has over the younger, being the first one to stand up and now towering over the one on the ground. Keigo’s hand comes up in a futile attempt to block, others still trying to button back up his shirt. He laughs at the older’s reaction to his statement, but Junki also agrees with it.

“Guess we’re not so careful afterall.”

“Junkichi, we were never careful in the first place,” Keigo’s up now, pressing a soft kiss to Junki’s lips that lasts only a few seconds, easing away. Maybe Junki chases after the kiss for a split second, hands already making their way to grab at Keigo but the younger is gone, leaving him with only a small smile.

* * *

Syoya is found sitting across the table from Keigo later, having all the other boys make excuses to leave the dining room after Junki excuses himself first. 

“You know what’s really odd,” Syoya starts, fingernails tapping against the table, “is that I haven’t had a date here yet. Granted with everyone else in the house at the same time as me, and with their feelings and all it wouldn’t work out but still. It’s kind of sad.”

Keigo clicks his tongue, wondering the same thing for the boy. Syoya was a great kid, always lively and happy (despite that little rough patch with Sukai) but Keigo knows that the arguments came from a place of having a strong familial sense and loyalty. He just thinks that the boy’s communication wasn’t there, and would never happen if they kept going at it like that. Keigo doesn’t know what happened between the boys for them to suddenly be nice to each other, but he didn’t complain.

“You’ll get a date soon, though. Don’t you like anyone?” Keigo pries, leaning on his elbows as he loves to talk about this stuff.

Syoya’s getting sucked in, thinking about his current feelings at the moment. Sometimes his heart flutters when he witnesses the smile of Shosei, or he wants to throw up — in a good way — when he hears Shion talk about something he is passionate about, and there are way too many butterflies in his stomach when his eyes lock with Sukai and he’s reminded by how soft the younger can get when he pets his hair. 

His hand comes up to the back of his head as he’s in deep thought about the other boys in the household. Syoya sighs as he does so, eyes glancing every which way until he realizes what he’s doing. 

“You can’t tell me there’s no one, Syoya,” Keigo continues, now his chin resting in his hand. He smirks at the younger’s red face, giggling lightly, “I think Shion might suit you, but then again your energies are almost too alike, it would get chaotic real quick. Shosei and you could work, but he’s also very timid. Maybe Sukai, now that I think about it. There’s definitely something going on behind the scenes that I don’t know about, because who makes up that quickly?”

The conversation had started to get too much on Syoya and he was not prepared for that. Syoya was supposed to get _Keigo_ a date, and not himself.

“N-no, I-” Syoya starts to sweat at the information Keigo was giving him, “I don’t like anyone, I- wait,” Syoya doesn't know how it got onto him and he wasn’t liking Keigo’s analyzing skills one bit. He wanted to ask Keigo if he had asked anyone out yet, or what his favorite dates were but the older had spoken before he got the chance to, taking too long of a pause.

“There’s no way you don’t like anyone Syoya, I’ve seen your eyes,” Keigo snorts, leaning back in his chair. He’s got him now, eyeing the younger. Syoya wasn’t making eye contact, still questioning himself and cursing him for not speaking up sooner. 

“I don’t want to talk about this, maybe, maybe-”

But his stuttering as he’s searching for the right words gets cut off by Keigo quickly.

“You just don’t know who to ask right? Or maybe it’s that you don’t know where to take the person instead, am I right?” The blonde is smirking now as Syoya whips his head around. The black-haired student couldn’t believe what Keigo insinuated, and maybe his heart leapt into his throat at the sentence.

“What about you, huh?” Syoya backfires, willing to do anything to get the attention off of him.

 _It’s for the sake of my eyes,_ he reminds himself.

“When are you going to take Junki out for a date? Or are you just going to keep fucking him in the playroom as if we can’t hear every single sound you make?” Syoya bites back, eyes staring straight into Keigo’s. He hates the anger that was in his voice, but that was the only way to get his point across. That wasn’t the response the blonde was expecting to hear, but maybe Syoya was done with the excessive moans that the older two clearly thought they didn’t have to hold back on now that everyone in the house knew.

“You guys are awfully close. Wonder when that happened,” it wasn’t meant to imply that they got together on Halloween, no. No one knew about that. But Syoya doesn’t know about who the boys were previously, what their love life was like before Terrace House. He didn’t understand the desire of the boys to just _be_ with someone; doesn’t matter who they were, if they were a current lover or just a one night stand.

But it hits Keigo like a truck, eyes bugging out and he leans forward in his chair now, gripping the side of the table. Images and memories from the past month and a half fly past Keigo’s mind, invading his thoughts and feelings. 

It wasn’t right what he did, but he can’t go back and change it now. All he can do is feel grateful that Junki stopped it when he did before it got too out of hand and someone had found them like Shion did earlier. 

“Keigo,” Syoya starts softly, seeing the distrubed look on the older face making him feel a little bit guilty, “I know you like Junki. We all do. It’s stupidly obvious and all we want is for you to stop being so grossly domestic in front of us. So it’s either that, or take him out on a date. I think he would like it.”

The blonde lowered his gaze to the table, picking at his fingernails.

“But Junki-”

“No buts. You want to take him out on a date, and you’re going to. End of discussion.” Syoya slaps the tabletop in a slightly playful manner, but still serious at the same time so Keigo knows he means business.

Keigo wanted to take the blonde out. He always played with the thought of taking Junki out to a restaurant, and how Junki would probably talk about the food the whole time; wondering how it was cooked and if he could recreate it, or that he could probably make it taste even better. His outings so far with the older were cheerful, to say the least. 

But dinner dates were so old school, and Keigo wanted to do something more for the older. 

“Okay, okay. I will take Junki out on a date, but only if you take Sukai on a date. There’s definitely some magic going on there,” Keigo quirks up the side of his mouth, not backing down from Syoya’s stare.

Syoya knew that the older was adamant about this little bet they had, although it was more betting their feelings and how the date would end.

“I wouldn’t even know the first place to take someone on a date, Keigo-kun,” Syoya sighs, kicking his legs out. One hits the leg of the table and he cries out in pain. The older snorts, putting his foot out more to find the other’s and give it another kick for payback.

“Asshole,” Syoya cries out, rubbing his pinky toe. 

“Yeah, _I’m_ the asshole,” the blonde mutters underneath his breath, going to lean back in his seat again, “but I think you should take Sukai to . . . maybe a bookstore? No, he’s around books a lot for work he probably wouldn’t want that. Maybe a record store, or some sort of knick knack one?” Keigo’s planning out their whole date, giving Syoya all sorts of ideas that he could do. He must really want them to get together, but the black-haired boy is still hesitant.

“Fine, I can do that, but not everything you just said!” Syoya huffs, “but then you have to take Junki to see the Christmas lights. Drive him around in the car the whole time, no kissing. Got it?” Syoya points a finger at the older as if he was Junki’s father, protective over him.

Keigo shows his palms, a small smile playing on his lips. He nods, finally glad that someone gave him a sign to do what he was too scared to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i have four exams over the next couple of days so i am not sure how often i will be updating, but i will try to update at night for me (est/edt) and i am lowkey struggling for plots. i want to make the most of shion and shosei because they're not in the fic as much as everyone else which is making me really upset but i also want to end the fic before my summer classes start. i'm planning to end it before i hit 50 chapters though, but idk how many i'll be writing as of now.
> 
> there's literally no plan. there never is.


	36. Episode 36. "A Soft Movie Night"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DEMIAN - Cassette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know the drill. not edited yet

The economics student finds himself back in his room later that night, surrounded by the other university students. 

“Please tell me you convinced Keigo to take Junki out on a date,” Shion whines, hands grabbing at the older’s in desperation of not wanting to see them going at it again. Syoya shakes the younger off, a small smile playing on his lips.

“I’m the Keigo whisperer, of course I got him to ask Junki out. Or, well, he said he would. Don’t think he’s done it yet but I’ll make sure it happens,” Syoya straightens his back, pleased with himself. He shoves his own date into the back of his mind; that was a problem for another time.

Sukai snorts at that statement, “if anyone is the Keigo whisperer it’s Junki. Syoya, you should know better.”

“Don’t make me come over there Sukai,” Syoya threatens, ready to get up until Shosei puts a delicate hand on his shoulder to calm him down. He asks Syoya if it’s worth it, quirking an eyebrow and the older says it definitely was, ready to get up again when the blonde pulls him back for the second time.

Sukai smirks at him from across the room, smugness written all over his face.

“And he agreed to it just like that? I thought Keigo might have wanted to keep things as they were going, it seems easy for them,” Shion continues on, still wanting to know more details. The younger boys had gathered upstairs in Shion’s room earlier, gossiping to one another about what might be going on downstairs.

Syoya hums in affirmation, “Yeah, it was really only a matter of what they would do if Keigo asked him out, instead of if he should even ask Junki out in the first place. So that was nice, not much convincing on my end,” Syoya lies slightly, avoiding his little side of the conversation and giving the other boys a good impression. He wanted to make this as smooth as possible, and he would know that all of the other boys would go apeshit when they heard that Syoya had to ask Sukai out on a date.

“What did you suggest?” Shosei turns to the older excitedly, wondering what Syoya would mention as a first date. Shosei always loved the ideas of first dates; it’s the ultimate first impression. The movie and dinner first date was so boring and overrated that the blonde hoped he didn’t suggest the two olders do that. He'd probably punch the older himself if he did.

“I told him to drive through the lights that are hung up. You know, they string up a bunch of lights and lit decorations in a certain section of downtown which they reserve for a few hours at night, it takes a good half hour at least to go through it all. They’d be stuck in a car alone, but Keigo still has to pay attention to driving so it would be more bonding time through talking than kissing,” Syoya explains smartly, quite proud of himself. He didn’t like how their relationship is built off of physicality, even if they are just as good of friends. But you can tell that the physical seemed to come first, or is super important to their relationship at the very least.

“That’s adorable! Syoya, you romantic,” Shosei swoons over it, jealous of that first date idea. Shosei was quite the hopeless romantic himself, always imagining little outings here and there that he could take his special someone to. One too many times he’s imagined that whenever he was out with friends, whatever they were doing would be a perfect date idea. That certainly didn’t help the atmosphere for the rest of their hang out, but Shosei never said anything.

He was just sad that he has yet to experience a first date.

“Okay, but we should be worrying about Keigo here. I don’t think he is as much of a romantic, if at all,” Syoya laughs lightly, crossing his arms over his chest. Even though the older two liked each other — maybe too much — he wonders how an actual planned date would go. They’ve only ever been hooking up or just being casual friends; nothing ever serious going on between them other than their nightly schedules with each other.

“Maybe we should get an in-ear piece for him,” Shion snorts, and the others just look at him.

“That is a terrible idea,” Sukai deadpans, “haven’t you seen any movies lately? God, I could just punch you.”

 _You and me both,_ Syoya thinks.

“H-hey, don’t gang up on me! You implied that we should think of something, right? No? You said you’re worried over Keigo-” Shion cries out, hands up in defense as he tries to explain himself but Syoya leans back and kicks him, almost knocking the brown-haired boy off the older’s bed. 

“Yeah, I’m slightly worried but this is _his_ relationship, you dimwit. We can’t meddle more than we already have,” Syoya sighs. He hated it, but it was the only way. Obviously, he was learning from movies and figuring that he couldn’t involve himself further in the matter — and he really didn’t want Keigo to suggest that he should do something else in exchange for helping him on his date.

Syoya shivers at the thought as his eyes glance over to the chemistry student, who was currently glaring at the youngest in the room. 

“Maybe we should watch a romance movie, downstairs with the two other boys. It could spark something; maybe for both of them.”

And this is why Shosei was Syoya’s favorite.

“You are my favorite son, god I love you!” Syoya tackles the blonde, knocking him backwards and into the soft mattress of his bed in a bear hug. Shosei giggles at the action, clinging onto the older’s shirt as he wasn’t expecting such a forceful hug, or anything to happen to him in general for that matter.

“Hey, we’re wasting precious time here,” Sukai kicks Syoya’s butt as he gets up from the bed, nose wrinkling at their hug, “chop chop! We’re losing daylight.”

“Sukai, it’s winter! Nighttime starts at five!”

* * *

The university students are all situated on the larger couch, pressed up against one another to make themselves fit as the love seat adjacent to them was open. They ran downstairs just minutes earlier, screaming to the open house about a movie night in hopes that the older two roommates would hear and have the heart to join them.

Otherwise Syoya would have to drag them to the living room, and he really didn’t want to investigate their whereabouts. 

The older boys came out to see what was going on, more because of the loud noise rather than hearing what they were actually saying. They didn’t know what was going on until Syoya turned to them, waving the remote he had in his hand and telling them they were going to watch a movie.

The four students already decided what they were going to watch upstairs, so they automatically put on a movie despite the complaints of Junki and Keigo that they had no say in the movie.

“Shut up and watch, it’s one of my favorites,” Shosei’s puppy dog eyes and the clenching on the pillow on his lap were what shut the older two up, as no one could be mean to the younger blonde. And it truly was one of his favorite movies, as the blonde suggested they watch a few minutes earlier. As the other boys didn’t know too much about romance films, they let Shosei take this one and sat back, willing to just enjoy the movie.

Syoya clicked on The Notebook to make it start playing. He’s heard of the movie before, but since it was in English and was kind of long (for the younger had the attention span of a goldfish), Syoya was too lazy to watch the entire two hours while reading subtitles. 

But he soon found himself squished between Sukai and Shosei on the couch, making it hard for him to breathe.

The movie opened bright red, an orange sunset setting over still water. It made Syoya want to fall asleep at the calmness, the piano music in the background light and airy. It didn’t last long though, for a few scenes it got quite loud with carnival music as they introduced one of the main characters.

Shosei sighed as he saw Ryan Gosling on the screen. He’s always had a thing for American actors, and young Ryan Gosling really captured his heart when he first saw the movie a few years ago. Besides him, Shion smirked at the light sigh. If anyone were to catch feelings for an actor, it would definitely be the blonde.

Only five or six minutes into the movie there it was; the iconic ‘love at first sight’ gaze, as the main actor saw the main actress on the bumper cars laughing. He was so mesmerized by her beauty, intoxicated by it that all he could do was stare and smile. 

Just looking at the scene got butterflies in Syoya’s stomach, and he glanced over discreetly at the two older roommates on the love seat to see what they were doing. If they had any indication of what the students were up to. 

Although it’s meant for two people, the boys acted like it was made for one as they laid on top of one another, legs sprawled across one of the seats and their bodies on another. It definitely didn’t look comfortable, so Syoya could only assume it was because they wanted to be closer together, curling up close in the slightly cold house due to Sukai’s likeness. 

The black-haired boy smiled lightly at the way Junki curled up under Keigo’s chin, eyes on the tv with the blanket over his whole body and most of his face. The eldest’s eyes were drooping slightly, seemingly tired though it was barely nine. Keigo was probably over the moon, but Syoya could see the inner turmoil inside the blonde’s brain from their conversation from earlier. The older man didn't know how to ask Junki out on that date, wondering how it would go over with him. 

It seemed like the older only wanted to hook up, but Keigo just couldn’t let him get away like that. No, he was too addicted now. 

The boys kept watching the movie, different emotions flowing through each one of them.

It’s not until later on, when they’re all sucked into the story line, that they hear sniffles as the female lead has to leave since it became the end of summer, and she has to go to school. The male is begging her to stay, and then it all goes quiet as he processes what was going on. It was heart wrenching to watch the actors going through the realization and heartache of having to leave each other eventually. It hits Keigo all the more when he sees this, wondering if this was how Ruki felt when Sho was leaving, and then when he broke up with the younger months later.

Shion buried his head in Shosei’s shoulder, cursing the older for picking such a sad movie. Sure, it was romantic at times but it was more sad than not and he wondered if it would even get the older in the mood to ask Junki out on a date.

Maybe what built Keigo’s courage of asking Junki out was when the rainstorm happened.

The lead actress had come back after being away for seven years, waiting for her summertime lover from when she was a teenager. But it was more than just a summer fling, for both of them. The male lead wrote to her every day for a year, but somehow the letters never got to her. 

It’s probably the most iconic kissing in the rain scenes to date, and Shosei cries every time.

“It wasn’t over,” Ryan Gosling says on the tv, long hair pressed flat against his head from the monsoon and clothes virtually see through, clinging, “it _still_ isn’t over.”

He kisses her in a hot, openmouthed kiss that makes each boy want to turn away from the intimacy. But they’ve come so far through the on-screen couple’s relationship that they have to see how it plays out. Junki curls up even further on top of Keigo, only his eyes out from underneath the blanket. The blonde’s arms wrap around him tighter, refusing to let him breathe. 

Syoya doesn’t even notice the dead weight that’s pressed against his shoulder as he stares at the older couple.

And later on, their toxic relationship on the screen is getting out of control and it’s wreaking havoc on each of the boy’s emotions. 

“Shosei, I thought you said this was a _romance_ movie,” Syoya hisses in the blonde’s ear as he witnesses yet again another agonizing scene before him. They’re fighting for probably the millionth time, and even though Syoya doesn’t understand a lick of English all he needs to do is hear the emotions coming from their words; how they say each syllable and enunciate certain tones. Sure it helps with the Japanese translation, but with foreign movies the way people say words is much more helpful to convey the tone of the movie.

Syoya has to look away yet again before he can feel his eyes stinging. It would make him sleepy and he knows that if he cries he’ll wake up with a massive headache.

“It is romantic,” the younger whispers back, “do you not hear them speaking? Is that not the language of love?”

“That’s the language of anger as far as I’m concerned,” Syoya scoffs, and Sukai nudges the older with his head in an attempt to get the black-haired male to stop talking. It made his chest vibrate, in turn making Sukai’s head vibrate since he was laying on it after all.

Syoya looks down at the younger, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips from the drooping of eyes, trying to stay awake and see how it ends but with the brown-haired male in a slightly laying down position, stretched out over the arm of the couch it was unavoidable for him to eventually fall asleep.

“So it’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be really hard, and we’re going to have to work at this everyday but I want to do that because I want you,” and the scene comes where, even though they’re fighting, the male expresses his love for her, “I want all of you. Forever, you and me, everyday.”

And the female lead breaks down in tears, chuckling through them because that was what she wanted to hear all along. Shosei coos at the tv, crying along with her. It was his favorite scene throughout the entire movie. It’s embarrassing how many times Shosei has watched and rewatched it.

Keigo pulls Junki just that much closer into him, thoughts now away from the movie as it’s just background noise. The male in his grasp whines at the contact, and Keigo feels grossly domesticated with Junki. But he loves it. He loves the way this felt; different from their heated make-out sessions but with just the same amount of emotion in it. He thinks he could get used to this.

He might as well take the risk right then and there, asking Junki to go with him to see the Christmas lights but then he hears the light snores coming from the older. Keigo just shakes his head, a nose buried into the older’s hair gently so he doesn't wake him. 

And when the movie ends, everyone is trying to wipe their tears away from the heart breaking plot twist before the credits roll and the lights turn back on. Even Shosei tears up, knowing it all along but it just made the whole scene even more sad, now knowing.

“Quite a powerful movie there, Shosei,” Keigo says, a thumb under his eyes that moves away hastily once Shion leans behind him to get the light switch on the wall. To say he was expecting that, well, that was an understatement. He thought the boys would play a lighthearted movie, maybe a comedy, or some sort of action movie for the night. It’s quite different from what they usually watch, but nice nonetheless.

“I’m sorry for making everyone cry, though,” Shosei laughs, a sniffle coming right after. Shion takes the blonde into a playful headlock, ruffling his hair.

“You lied to us!” He cries out before getting shushed by the others due to Junki and Sukai sleeping.

“Now that all my tears have escaped me and my eyes are sleepy, I might as well go to bed. Plus, I gotta get the one to bed as well, though he may already be there,” Keigo snorts at the dead weight on his body; a snoring Junki. It was difficult to gather all of the older male in his arms without waking him up, but Keigo managed to do so within minutes.

Keigo gently carried Junki bridal style up the stairs, the older’s arms winding their way around Keigo’s neck as he mumbles incoherent thoughts, in between states of consciousness. 

Junki is snuggling into the older’s neck when he opens Junki’s bedroom door, planning on getting him settled into bed and leaving. But the older had other thoughts, a hand trailing Keigo's features unconsciously and holding onto his hand one Keigo was about to step away from his tucking-Junki-in job. 

“No,” he whines out breathlessly, little incoherent noises coming from before and after the word that the blonde couldn't make out. 

“No, what?” Keigo asks, crouching down next to Junki’s sleeping figure. He deems it that the younger was just sleep talking, and maybe Junki is but he says it again and grips just a little tighter, clearly wanting the younger to stay the night. 

It was different. They’ve never slept over at each other’s rooms before, always leaving in the middle of the night when they were done, or seperating to each other’s rooms after they left the playroom. It was different, but Keigo does not mind one bit. So he traces his thumb across Junki’s cheekbone gently, watching the older’s face soften at the touch. He resists the urge to give him a light peck everywhere on exposed skin, butterfly kisses across his face.

Rather, Keigo stands up and lifts the blanket on Junki’s bed, and when Keigo climbs in the older one immediately clings to the blonde. As Keigo wraps his arms around the older once again, he wonders why they never spent the night with each other before, cursing their daily routine since he missed out on this _softness_.

Downstairs, Shosei is dragging a tired Shion upstairs, bawling to Shosei about his ‘ _bad choice in movies_ ’ and that he should ‘ _really think about other people’s feelings before his own_ ’. All Shosei does is laugh, knowing that it was the hypersensitive emotions talking this late at night. And that Shion was always a drama queen.

Syoya stays downstairs with a sleeping Sukai on his chest, hating to move but he too is tired and would much rather sleep laying down in his bed than here, sitting up on the couch with a heavy weight on his chest.

“Sukai,” Syoya calls out his name gently, a nudge here and there. The younger doesn’t budge, so Syoya tries again, a little louder and more forceful this time.

“Mm,” Sukai groans, head being buried in Syoya’s chest even more. It makes his heart beat faster and he hopes the younger doesn’t hear it. 

“Sukai, it’s bedtime, the couch isn’t comfortable. And we have school tomorrow too. Don’t you have eight a.m.s?” Syoya starts again lightly, almost a whisper for the slowly waking up Sukai. Syoya’s hand automatically comes up to the younger’s hair, fingers threading and it definitely doesn’t help Sukai wake up. 

“Just ten more minutes,” the brown-haired boy insists, head turning until his nose hits the older’s shirt. 

Syoya rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t possibly say no to that. With Syoya’s hand in the younger’s hair, it makes him fall asleep quickly again. And even with the light still on downstairs, somehow Syoya falls asleep at the motion too, head bobbing down to rest on top of Sukai’s in the uncomfortable sitting position on the couch.

Later that night, Shosei comes out of his room for a (past)midnight snack and sees the light on. It’s curious to him, but he immediately turns it off when he sees the two other boys on the couch sleeping soundly, somehow moving into a more comfortable position and holding each other in a tight embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so like i was going to make it a japanese romance movie but i don’t know any and i didn’t want it to sound like i didn’t, so i just went with a universal one that i have watched before and could actually write about. also scenes may be out of order, i just looked up scenes on youtube since it's been a while since i saw the movie


	37. Episode 37. "Bruises and Bruises"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewis Capaldi - Bruises

Junki wakes up the next morning later than usual.

His bed was warm, much warmer than normal but in his half conscious state Junki didn’t question it since it felt nice. There was something off though, something that kept poking at the back of his mind and he just couldn’t shake the feeling.

It wasn’t until he went to stretch due to a sharp intake of breath that he started to wake up more does he feel where the heat is coming from.

A body was pressed against his, hugging Junki from behind and it quite possibly scares the living daylights out of the younger when he realizes. He shakes the body off, turning over at a fast enough rate that the older falls off the bed. Unfortunately, Keigo was still asleep and couldn’t bother to wake up before Junki’s body crashed ungracefully on the hard wooden floor. 

The younger gets startled by the thump, a string of curse words following. Junki knew he was going to be sore everywhere, bruises popping up and staying for days if not weeks. 

He completely forgot why he even got scared in the first place until the blonde’s head peeked over the side of the bed, scaring him back down to the ground.

“K-Keigo!” Junki screamed, lowering himself further into the ground, “that’s you? W-what are you doing in my b-bed?”

He’s a stuttering mess now, hands trembling from the scare, though maybe a little more at the thought of Keigo sleeping in his room with him, hugging him all night.

Keigo looked down at himself on the bed, eyes blinking as he recalled the memories of what had happened last night. He’s a little embarrassed now, cheeks turning bright pink so he turns away from Junki and sits up more, further away on the bed.

“You fell asleep last night. Couches are uncomfortable, so I thought I would bring you up to your room,” Keigo hand combed through the short hair at the base of his neck, still not looking the older in the eye. 

“I-” Junki starts before pausing briefly, “thank you, but that doesn’t exp- wait. You brought me up here, like as in carried?” He asked softly, registering every one of Keigo’s words. He looks at the blonde who has since lowered his gaze somehow even more, face twisted. Finally Keigo nods lightly, eyes drifting slowly, across the bed to over to where Junki is still sitting on the floor, leaning on his hands for support.

“You’re not that heavy,” he tries to joke lightly, hoping that Junki didn't mind his actions. The older man only stares at him though, wondering why in the world Keigo would do that for him. Honestly, Junki would probably just push the other to the side and call it a night himself, trudging upstairs in a half conscious state. Or maybe even sleep on the couch as well if he was tired enough, but Junki didn’t think he would have the strength to carry such deadweight up the stairs and into their bedroom, just so they could sleep more comfortably. 

“Why would you do that?” There wasn’t a malicious tone lacing his words, more just curious at Keigo’s actions. The younger just shrugged, repeating his statement from before once again. It seemed to take Junki another few moments before he shook the caring action out of his head, and into the state of why exactly the blonde was in his bed.

“And you are sleeping in my bed because . . .?”

“Ah, about that,” the younger’s hand was back again, threading through his hair to calm his nerves. This was different, much different to what the couple was used to, even if they have started to become more soft with and open with one another. But that doesn’t mean it was all the time, or nearly as soft behind closed doors.

“You kind of . . . told me to stay. A little distressed, I guess, and you grabbed my wrist. I only assumed you wanted someone there again, with you,” he refers back to when he was hugging the older as they watched the movie last night. He could only assume that the older wanted the same comfort, and when he fell asleep to it and somehow came back to while being carried, it was only natural to want the same comfort to get him back into dreamland. 

And it did feel nice to Junki. The warmth was intoxicating, and not to mention how cold this winter has been, it felt nice to have someone wrap their arms around him, hold him close and warm his body up. He hadn’t meant to lean on Keigo (okay maybe he did a little) but it was only a slight lean, just to keep in contact. And then he was quick to slide off the other’s shoulder, onto his chest and curling up into him with his blanket, completely forgetting about the other boys in the room. 

Junki ran a hand through his hair, wincing at the pain shooting through his back. 

“Oh, you fell! D-do you need some ice, or-” Keigo finally, really noticed the older one on the ground, and put two and two together from the thumping noise earlier. Now he’s up like lightning, worried about that older and that he had gotten hurt over getting scared by _himself,_ Keigo’s presence. 

God, that feeling sucked the life out of Keigo as he didn’t even wait for a response, rushing out of the room that seemed like it was full of smoke for how much it was choking him. It’s not even a minute later that the blonde is back in Junki’s room with an ice pack and a paper towel to wrap it in, not even noticing the still sleeping university students on the couch. 

If he did, he would have woken them up since it was way past their first class of the day, but he didn’t see them, thoughts on Junki’s aching back only.

“Here, where does it hurt?” Keigo’s already wrapping the ice pack with the towel when he feels that familiar hand on his wrist, stopping his motions completely.

Junki chuckles at the younger, eyes darting back and forth between the ice pack and Keigo’s face. It was distraught, mouth open a jar that looked like he was going to say something but nothing came out. 

“Keigo, I’m fine with it now, it just . . . shocked me a little I guess. Don’t go out of your way,” he said softly, hand still hot on Keigo’s wrist. It’s all the blonde could think about, gaze locked on the Junki’s slender fingers that held him tightly in his place.

Keigo sighed.

“But I do want to go out of my way, Junki- I-” Keigo stares into the older’s eyes, towering above him even when his shoulders are slumped over. In that moment it was just Junki; Junki, Junki, _Junki_ and all Keigo wanted to do was- “can I ask you somethin- no, fuck it. I’m just going to ask.”

Now that it was at the forefront of his mind, it was the only thing Keigo could think about. All he wanted to do was see Junki under the Christmas lights, not only in the car but when they’re decorating the christmas tree together, or hanging up christmas lights on the side of the roof if they ever make it far enough into the future to live together. Keigo hopes they do. 

“Kono Junki, will you go on a date with me?”

It hung in the air like a heavy weight as Junki processed the words. 

It was so different from their normal routine. Such a different feeling from previous days and nights that were rough and heated and not much asking going on. But while Keigo carried Junki upstairs last night and slept in his bed, so out of their element Junki might as well keep the ball rolling and go with the answer that was just as different as everything else. 

“I would love to.”

And Junki jumps up despite his back still achingly sore, arms wrapping around the older’s neck as he throws him off balance from the shock of the answer (and action). Junki hates the cold, but with one hand on his back that’s freezing from the ice pack in Keigo’s hand, all he can think is that he doesn’t mind it as much now.

* * *

Syoya wakes up downstairs, groaning at the popping of his joints as he wakes up, sunlight streaming in through the large windows besides him.

It was bright; much too bright for when the black-haired boy usually wakes up. He knows just as well as Sukai does, that he too has eight a.ms every other day. It’s a Monday, which means he has to leave the house by 7:30 the _latest_ to make it to his class on time, and the sunrise doesn’t start much before then.

So the brightness sure does wake him up a little more quicker, confusion warping his features and thoughts. Syoya lets out a little whine, shifting in his sleeping position when he became much more aware of his surroundings. And much more aware of the heavy weight on his chest, snoring up a storm and Syoya is surprised he didn’t wake up from _that_ noise first. 

“He’s really the worst one, god Keigo,” Syoya mutters under his breath, head falling back down onto the couch cushions with an arm over his eyes. They still hurt, heavy with sleep and Syoya has to get up soon or he might be late.

It only takes a few minutes for Syoya to pick his head up again, nudging the younger so he can wake up as well and get off of him. There was no more mister nice guy from last night.

“Sukai. Sukai, come on. Wake up, it’s morning and you’re crushing my lungs over here,” he keeps nudging the younger, but the younger just wouldn’t budge no matter how hard he poked. Syoya groaned, wiggling his body in an attempt to get the younger off of him but it was still no use, the snores resuming once Syoya stopped.

“Damn it- Sukai!” And Syoya may have pushed him too hard, accidentally knocking the younger onto the surface below. The contact noise echo rang just a little too much in Syoya’s head as he leaned over the side quickly, eyes wide with fear.

“What-?” Sukai said slowly, hand going up to his head as he curled in on himself. Although there was a carpet beneath him, it’s only true purpose was to be soft and not to cushion hard falls from the couch. 

“I-I’m sorry, Sukai, I’m-” Syoya leaned over even more, a hand reaching out to gently turn Sukai’s body toward him, “let me-”

“Syoya? What happened?” His face is twisted in pain and not anger, and Syoya is just a little more relieved. Though maybe the younger was still a little bit tired, his morning voice husky and low in Syoya’s ears. Sukai can feel a bruise already forming on his hip, finally gaining the air back in his lungs and the strength in his arms to reach around and soothe the ache. It doesn’t help, pain instantly shooting up his side when he lays even the gentlest of touches on it. He swears, and that just makes Syoya feel that much worse about the situation.

“Maybe if you woke up like a normal person,” Syoya huffs, though still babies Sukai at the same time as he swings his legs over the side and helps Sukai to sit up against the base of the couch, “now sit here and let me get an ice pack.”

Syoya is muttering nonsense as he walks over to the kitchen, grabbing the last ice pack — where did the other one go? — and a towel so it wouldn’t be too cold on the younger. Though he knows just how much Sukai likes the cold so it was more out of habit. 

“Where does it hurt?” Syoya asks, bending down to eye level with the younger student. 

Sukai points to his hip, lifting it slightly away when Syoya goes to touch it.

“Jesus, are you never gentle?” Sukai groans, one hand gripping the couch from the pain. Syoya could have just rammed the freezing cold ice pack into his side a little harder, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Sure Sukai liked the cold but this frigid temperature of the ice pack had to be eased onto the skin, no matter how much he liked the cold. The ice pack way biting at the tender skin, and Sukai didn't like it one bit.

He really doesn’t know how Syoya pushed him so easily off the couch, and how he got bruised so bad. It was starting to turn an ugly shade of red, soon to become blue in a matter of no time.

“I’m not with you,” Syoya scoffs, but that was a lie and he knows it. But biting back at Sukai felt more natural than being utterly soft with the boy, especially when he was being just as much of a bitch back. Sukai sucks a sharp breath in through his clenched teeth as Syoya brings the ice pack to his bruise, gentler than Sukai anticipated but it still hurts nonetheless.

“Have you never fallen down before? Seriously, this doesn’t even look that bad,” Syoya inspects the changing colors on the younger’s skin. It’s much too close for comfort when the waistband has to be lowered slightly to get the full bruise, and Syoya has to hold his breath.

“No, because I’m not clumsy like you are- hey! I said be gentle,” Sukai leans away even more when Syoya puts the ice pack back on, eyes trained on the younger’s face. His breathing had picked up slightly from the pain and it didn’t look like he would calm down anytime soon.

“That just means I had a good childhood. Always outside with friends or at sports clubs,” the black-haired boy mumbles in slight defense. So maybe the friends were more animals than human, and maybe the sports clubs were when he was being chased by the chickens or the dogs, but it was still exercise nonetheless. But Sukai didn’t need to know that; he just needed to know that Syoya knew how to take care of bruises.

It’s silence after that. Syoya is pressing the ice pack to the younger’s side, chasing after the skin when Sukai jumps away from the sudden freezing touch. Syoya guesses he must not like the cold as much as he leads on. But eventually, the ice was on the skin long enough to numb it, and Sukai could lay against the couch with his head back in peace, breathing evening out. 

“I still don’t forgive you, but . . . thanks for the ice pack,” Sukai whispers, the words just barely reaching the older’s ears but he still hears it. It jumbles up his mind at the gratitude, and he smiles lightly as he sits more comfortably now next to the younger.

“Someone needs to take care of you when you get hurt,” Syoya chuckles lightly, going to ruffle the younger’s hair. Sukai swiftly moves away, batting at Syoya’s hands with a laugh himself.

“I wouldn’t need someone to take care of me if that someone didn’t hurt me,” the brown-haired boy stuck out his tongue, nose scrunching up playfully. Syoya just smiles lightly, looking away again at the words because he still feels so bad about hurting the younger.

Minutes later, when the students are back to bickering, the two eldests of the house come down the stairs. Keigo is holding onto Junki carefully, a hand wrapped around his waist and helping him with each step. 

There was something different in the action that Syoya couldn’t quite place as he watched them, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. They’re talking lowly, but the students are too far away to manage anything other than incoherent noises.

When the blonde spots the two sitting by the couch, a confused expression comes across his face until it turns into a goofy smile. 

“What’s up buttercups?” Keigo calls over with a wave, ice pack in one hand and Junki still grasped in the other.

So _that’s_ where the other ice pack went.

Syoya scoffs at the uncanny circumstances the four are in, and he rubs at his eyes. 

“What’s with the ice pack? Keigo, what did you do?” Syoya called back, head nodding to the object. Keigo just raises an eyebrow, explaining the situation briefly. When Junki turns around and Sukai goes back to messing around with his bruise, Keigo gives the younger a wink and Syoya knows _exactly_ what it means.

With noticing how similar their situations have become this morning, the black-haired boy’s throat clogs up at the possibility of it happening to him too, and he really didn’t want to go through with his end of the deal. An involuntary whine escapes his lips, and when Sukai asks what happened Syoya scrambles to his feet, dropping the ice pack as if it were on fire.

“N-nothing I’m just-” he’s jittery now, fingers cramping and Syoya doesn’t know where to put them. Instead, he stupidly points them over his shoulder, “w-what time is- Keigo? What time is it?” 

And Syoya is off, feet moving impossibly fast to the kitchen just to leave the younger for a few minutes.

Syoya still hasn’t checked the time yet, but when he does after he sees that far too much time has passed for him to even think about going to attend his later classes. But a fleeting thought crosses his mind as he didn’t even mind one bit how he spent his morning; would much rather push Sukai over the side of the couch any day than drag his ass to school so early in the morning.


	38. Episode 38. "A Short Intermission"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joji - Sanctuary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is really short i am so sorry i promise the next chapter will be longer

It was a thing now.

The four 20-year-olds getting together at night in the playroom, turning on the tv and putting one of the various games in the console to play. And it wasn’t just them, but Sukai’s younger brother often joined as Syoya and Shosei couldn’t get enough of the younger. 

Now it was the middle of the week, and everyone was clocked out of school as winter break would start on Saturday. Come next week is Christmas, and then New Years the week after and the boys couldn’t wait to celebrate together and just be young adults without worrying over assignments. Playing video games at night took their mind off of everything; exams, homeworks due, and rotten professors that assign homework due on the same day as exams. 

“I can’t believe you’re this bad at _everything,_ Shion-kun,” Issei’s voice came through the speakers once again, much too loud, much too clear, and much too annoying for the brown-haired boy. 

“Okay, but where are you getting all your shells from, you little cheater? I can’t exactly move out of the way from those,” Shion grumbled, fingers flying across his controller as he’s staring at the screen. It hurts him to know that he was in 5th place in their Mario Kart race, and he full-heartedly blames it on the teenager. All Sukai does was snicker, joining Issei in the _let’s-bash-Shion_ club. Maybe the brothers bonded even more over their mutual love for teasing and testing the boundaries of others, and with Shion it was no different.

“Shion, there are always more rounds and maps that we can play afterwards,” Shosei, the always positive one, pipes in. Shion appreciates the sentiment, but it wasn’t coming at the right time when Shion’s character slipped on a banana peel and cursed loudly, yelling at Issei and all the younger one did was laugh. It’s gotten to the point when Shion lost track of how many games he’s lost, nevermind how many times Issei targeted the older with shells and bananas.

“Y-you’re a teenager! You’re supposed to be studying, how are you so good?”

“Well, you just said it. I _am_ a teenager, after all,” the younger one snickered, and Sukai could practically see the younger one’s upper lip being pulled up maliciously, showing his crooked yet charming teeth. It brought a small one to his own, happy that he would still be spending this much time with his brother as they’re far from each other.

Shion just whined again, frantically pressing more controls. It didn’t help much, as he still ended the round in last place once again. 

“I could totally be a professional online gamer,” Issei said smugly, clicking his tongue in satisfaction. Sukai just snorts at his brother.

“I think you should stick to your studies, buddy. What’d you get on your last history test, what was it? Oh yeah, a 60 right? Just _barely_ passing,” Sukai bit back, making sure that his brother would go down a different path. It’s not that he didn’t like games, but Sukai thought that gaming was just a hobby and not an actual career, and that his younger brother could do so much better with his life. He had so much potential to help others, and Sukai didn’t want to see that go away.

“Hey! T-that test was really hard, okay,” Issei’s voice boomed through the speakers, sending the university students into a fit of giggles. 

“Aw, Issei,” Shosei cooed, fingers picking at the rubber buttons on the controller, “I’ll teach you history. It was my favorite subject!”

And it was his favorite subject — right after music of course. The blonde’s smile brightened the room despite the dimmed lights and night sky just outside the window. 

Shion coughs a string of insults under his breath, and Shosei becomes mad enough to actually smack the younger upside the head. It surprises everyone, and Syoya ruffles the younger one’s hair in affection. He truly was his favorite. 

Everyone is again brought into a fit of giggles, all except for Issei as he had no clue what just happened in the other room. He could only guess by the groans coming from one of the boys and incoherent noises as everyone talked over one another, voices melding together in disharmony.

“Okay, okay! You all are giving me a headache, can we play another round now? I’m ready to beat you slow pokes again!”

* * *

“Keigo, please!”

Junki holds out the last syllable, hanging off of Keigo’s shoulder as he inches his face even closer. His hands are gripping the blonde’s shirt, lips twisted in a pout that makes Keigo want to spill everything but he doesn’t.

“No, I can’t tell you where we’re going. It’s a surprise! Why would you want to ruin the surprise?” Keigo’s face turns away slightly, more for him to keep from spilling the date because he knew that once he looked into the older’s eyes, it would all be over. 

Junki whines again, cheek resting on Keigo’s shoulder as he pushes him forward even more, but all Keigo does is endure the pain of the kitchen counter cutting into his stomach. 

The blonde brings a hand up to Junki’s, patting him, “Junkichi, you’ll know in a few days. I can’t tell you anything more other than keep your Friday night open.”

“This is upsetting and I am not a fan,” Junki leans back now, letting Keigo breathe a little easier. The black-haired male always hated surprises, even if he likes to keep them from others. It was a different kind of thrill that he never liked, especially when he knew there would be a surprise coming and he had to wait for it. Nope, Kono Junki was never a fan of surprises.

So he runs his tongue over his teeth, clenching them lightly as he turned away and started to the stairs, maybe a little more than pissed but the man was always dramatic.

“Junki- Junki! Hey, what’s the matter, I promise you’ll love it,” Keigo watched the older leave over his shoulder until he realizes Junki’s mood, swiftly walking over and catching the older before a foot even touched the stairs. His arms wrapped around Junki’s waist, head laying on his shoulder in a similar position to how Junki was on Keigo only moments earlier. Junki only scrunches his nose at the action, head turning away in another similar fashion.

“Junki,” now it was Keigo’s turn to whine, “please trust me. Don’t you trust me?”

Junki sighed at that, leaning back slightly and the blonde knew he had him in the bag. Keigo pressed a feather-like kiss to the older’s exposed neck, lips curving on his skin and he couldn’t be more happy. 

Junki drags the younger one upstairs, him still hanging on Juniki’s back as he refuses to let go. But all Junki wanted was to go to his room and fall asleep into a peaceful dream. Keigo was making that pretty difficult right now, but Junki couldn’t say it was the worst thing in the world.

As they pass the playroom, they hear shouts of victory and laughter, and Junki’s lips curl into a smile at the sound. It felt good to have laughter back in the house, and his head twisted to see Keigo’s face. 

All the younger does is close his eyes and make an exaggerated kissing face, lips puckered and waiting for a kiss that Junki wouldn’t give tonight. He was still mad that Keigo refused to tell him what they would be doing Friday night other than that it _would be fun_ and _just think of it as an adventure._

Junki snorts, going to his room and still pulling a Keigo in tow, getting heavier and heavier by the second. Eventually they make it to his room and Junki practically throws Keigo onto his bed, turning around as swiftly as he can and throwing the younger off his back.

Keigo groans when his back hits the mattress. 

“I think this is bullying. I can’t believe you’re treating me like this,” he whines, hands reaching out and Junki isn’t going to give him the satisfaction. 

“You’re not getting anything if you aren’t going to tell me and that’s that,” Junki crosses his arms and gives the blonde a pointed look. Keigo really wanted a kiss right now, and maybe it was killing him just a little bit too much so that he was about to cave into the older.

“But- then you’ll be expecting it, and I want to see your truest reaction,” Keigo tries the puppy dog eyes, leaning on his elbow now and Junki has to look away. It wouldn’t be as fun to see Junki’s eyes shine if they were already prepared for what was about to come, so Keigo would try to keep it a secret for as long as possible but the younger has been testing his patience for the past few days and he doesn’t know how much longer he can hold on for.

Junki breathes a sharp breath, facing Keigo with a sad look on his face. But the look was more in defeat, rather than trying to get Keigo to spill as he walked over to him slowly. When the black-haired male reached the blonde, he took the other’s hands in his and just held them. 

He loved the feeling of Keigo’s hands in his. They were soft and delicate, not callused like Junki’s. They might be Junki’s favorite part of Keigo’s body, and he always played with them when they were just laying down together, or sitting by one another on the couch. 

“Okay. I won’t pressure you anymore. But I will say this, and that it better be the best surprise ever or we will need to have a chat,” Junki smirks, eyes flickering to Keigo’s. All Keigo does is smile, pulling the older down gently until he reaches his face, an inch apart.

Keigo’s breath dances on Junki’s lips, waiting for the older to close the gap. And when he did, he felt fireworks going off in the back of his mind just like every other kiss they’ve shared. Electricity shoots through his body and a hand reaches up behind Junki’s head to keep him in place.

Keigo already feels like they’re dating; like they’ve gone on the first date already, and a million more dates after that. It was a weird feeling he got when he realized that they haven’t officially gone out, or put a label on their relationship and it makes Keigo want to do something about it. Because when they go out together, he wants there to be a reason that he can protect Junki, can tell other people to _fuck off_ because Junki was his boyfriend; only Keigo’s. 

And Keigo pressed his lips harder against Junki’s, breath coming up short. All he wanted to do was convey his feelings to Junki through every kiss, and he wondered if the older got the message. 

They’re kisses became more familiar; natural. As if they’ve been dating all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short little s4 moments because i want to write about them more but i don’t have any plots rn so all you get in my garbage drabble i’m sorry


	39. Episode 39. "What You've All Been Waiting For"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niykee Heaton - Bad Intentions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not edited and honestly will probably add more details later
> 
> ~~~ @ end warning

“Close your eyes”

“I will not be closing my damn eyes, Sato Keigo! That’s the least you can give to me for _still_ not spilling!” Junki huffed, a hand itching to reach out and shove the younger but since he was driving that wouldn’t be a smart plan on Junki. 

Friday came around very slowly for the older male; the only thing being on his mind was this date. He still was anxious about it, not knowing what or how to feel but eventually giving in to the swarming butterflies in his stomach. So what if he didn’t do his job properly last night, maybe talking a little bit more than usual which made his coworkers tease Junki relentlessly and he took extra time to find where the ingredients were even though he knew their placement like the back of his hand. He wholeheartedly blames everything on one Sato Keigo.

And it drives him insane.

“But then you’ll see it and-” and Keigo realizes his mistake when Junki interrupts him with a _see what?_ in response. Now the blonde was the one who has spoken too much, and millions of possibilities are flying through Junki’s brain as he looks out the window at the passing streetlamps covered with snow, the tall trees thinning out as they slowly enter the center of town. 

“Keigo, where are we going? What am I going to see?” Junki’s anxious now, a leg bobbing up and down rapidly before Keigo reaches over and puts a hand on his knee without so much as a glance away from the road. It instantly stops Junki’s leg from moving as he just stares at it.

He almost misses the moment when they come to enter downtown because he was too busy staring at Keigo’s hand gripping his now thigh, but his head shoots up when Keigo gives him a light squeeze.

And there are lights everywhere. Keigo has to stop the car and pay the entry fee but Junki doesn’t even notice as his eyes were glued to the different colors before him, making various shapes of various sizes. 

Overhead was enormous and wide, bright lettering welcoming drivers to drive-through lighting event. On the sides of the words were lit up snowmen, circles of white and red lights that create shapes and Junki never wanted to look away.

“Y-you brought me to thi-this drive through?” Junki finally found his voice as they passed under the welcome sign slowly, his eyes trying to keep looking so he leaned forward in his seat even more. But immediately right after, to his left were outlines of several cherry blossoms and leaves, illuminating in shades of pink and red and white.

“I’ve always wanted to do one of these, but never had the chance to. Surprise?” Keigo chuckles, finally looking over at Junki for the first time. The car was moving steadily along, slow enough for Keigo to take his eyes off of the car in front of him and just look at the shocked expressions of Junki’s face. His eyes were still wide open, taking in every single bulb, the lights reflecting in Junki’s eyes. The colors from them made Junki’s skin glow, and Keigo was afraid he would hit the car in front of him if he stared too long.

Junki’s mesmerized, to say the least. He couldn’t believe that Keigo could even come up with this date idea, nevermind actually go through with it. But without a doubt Junki has fallen head over heels within a millisecond; as soon as his eyes laid on the various light displays stretched out over the whole winding road in front of him, he knew. 

“Yeah,” the older manages to breathe out a response. It’s all he could get out, as his eyes were now locked in on the nativity scene passing by, gold and red taking up every inch of space.

Keigo chuckles, eyes more on Junki than what he actually drove him to but that was okay, because Keigo could see the lights perfectly in Junki’s eyes. All he did was drive slowly forward, eyes glancing back and forth from time to time. He smiled at Junki’s little gasps and awes, face pressed against the window to see as much as the displays as close as possible. 

“Keigo, look!” Junki doesn’t care now, hand violently slapping Keigo’s shoulder to get his attention — as if Junki didn’t already have his undivided attention — on the display coming up, “it’s beautiful isn’t it! How’d they create that?”

It was one of the more elaborate displays; a blue 3D carousel with white horses going around in circles. It was the brightest one yet, compacted and somehow different from every angle as they drove past. 

Cute carolers came next, standing in front of a small house with multiple trees surrounding it. Junki gripped onto Keigo’s hand, smiling so wide that Keigo thought he would catch flies. It brings joy to the blonde as he watches Junki, and he puts into the back of his mind to let Syoya know that he can have anything he wants just for seeing how happy Junki is right now. 

For the rest of the displays, Junki hummed in admiration and kept squeezing Keigo’s hand when another one came up, becoming Junki’s new favorite. For being in such close quarters for as long as they have, Junki doesn’t feel weird at all that the ride was going smoothly, the only contact being between their hands. 

“O-oh! The Game of Life, I haven't played that in ages!” Junki speaks up again as they drive past Toyland, almost at the end of the displays. A mischievous grin appears on Junki’s face as he remembers memories of playing with his friends, always beating the game first and somehow managing to have the most money by the end. Whether it be fate or luck, Junki always winds at the game of life.

“I-I’ve never played,” the blonde says embarrassedly, glancing away when Junki whips around in his seat. His eyes are digging daggers at the older, curious and also a little furious at how the younger had never played the game before. 

“You’re joking. We have to play!” Junki’s close to Keigo now, bombarding him with questions and facts about that game, and how they would be playing the game very soon. It makes the both of them laugh, and Junki turns back around just in time to see the ending light display, wishing every driver happy holidays. Junki laughs lightly at the words bent in a semicircle, Santa and his reindeer flying over them. 

His smile is still big, eyes shining just as much as when he first saw where they came to when Keigo drives underneath the ‘happy holiday’s display, and past the other more simpler displays on the sides of them. It was a grand finale, lights brighter than the sun everywhere that the boys forgot it was nighttime. 

“Keigo, I-” Junki starts when they left the neighborhood off the center of town, taking a detour back to the house, “that was absolutely breathtaking, I don’t even know-”

And he groans in frustration as he doesn’t even know what to say. The couple doesn’t use words often as their actions definitely speak louder, but Junki felt an invisible weight pushing him back into his seat and he couldn’t do either. And then Junki looks down, the back of his eyes starting to sting and he doesn’t even know why. 

Keigo was all smiles too until he looked over at the black-haired male, and seeing the tears made Keigo want to stop the car immediately. But he was driving the regular speed now, with cars in front of and behind him and all he could do was reach over and let Junki latch onto his hand.

“Junkichi, baby, why are you crying?” Keigo asks softly, seeing the older’s eyes screwed shut and his lip trembling. At the words, a single tear left Junki’s eye and trailed down much too slowly; the older could feel it all the way down and it made his throat clog up even more, making everything hurt.

His eyes are squeezed shut so tightly it was giving him a headache, but he wanted to keep seeing the bright images in his mind just a little bit more.

Keigo repeats his words once more for them to finally get to Junki, and he takes a deep and shaky breath in. Junki squeezes back, but he doesn’t stop squeezing the younger’s hand. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t-” and his brain is all jumbled and Junki’s trying to sort his thoughts and nothing is working, “I guess I’m just really grateful. No one has ever done this for me before.”

Most of Junki’s relationships were flings.

Nothing was ever as close to soft and caring at this drive was for Junki. Nothing was ever as thought out and had good intentions as when Keigo brought him to the lights displays, reminding him about what the holiday was about. Just sitting next to each other and enjoying the lights and each other’s company was a different experience for Junki.

The lights he usually encounters were in a nightclub, blues and purples flashing on and off as the bass was so powerful it practically pumped his blood for him. He would slip through sweaty bodies and grab a hand in the crowd, ending up at home a half an hour later

But this was much, much gentler. The bass pumping his blood was the squeeze of Keigo’s hand in his, the bright lights of a larger variety of lights not escaping Junki’s vision at all.

No this was different, but Junki has come to love it.

“This is so cheesy,” Junki visibly shivers and Keigo belts out a laugh at the overexaggerated version of it. It makes him smile a little wider, feeling the tears slowly going away and hopefully to never return. He doesn’t ever want to cry in front of Keigo ever again, doesn’t ever want to hear the concern and heartache in his voice from the look on Junki’s face from before.

“I know you love it,” Keigo retorts back, fingers playing with Junki’s now. He loves to feel the roughs hands of Junki, fingertips tracing patterns on his. They’re almost home now, and Keigo cannot want to finish off the night with Junki in his arms. 

And when they get back to the house, faces red and giddy as they stumble into the house from coming back from the light display, they barely say a greeting to the university students who are clustered together on the couch — even though they’re the only ones home and there is plenty of space elsewhere — watching another movie. Syoya doesn’t even have a chance to ask how the date went, only smirking as he watches them climb up the stairs with bright smiles on their faces.

Keigo brings the older into his room this time, turning on the light as they enter. 

The older chases after Keigo’s lips, as old habits die hard. Keigo just smirks, leaning back slightly as he separates them with a hand on the older’s chest even though all he wants to do is take his hand away and just let Junki have him.

Junki whines, eyebrows furrowing but Keigo just holds up a finger and tells him to be patient. He turns around, going to open his closet and pulls out his gift to Junki.

The older gasps when he sees it, eyes going wide and he doesn’t know how to feel. Keigo just shifts awkwardly, on his feet, hands gripping the object tightly as he doesn’t know what to say either. But it just felt right.

“I know, I know this might be dumb and looks bad, but- listen to me, Junkichi,” Keigo starts with a deep breath, hands trembling slightly, “I really want you to have this. And it’s dumb, and stupid — I’m really fucking stupid aren’t I — but I don’t want it to turn out bad, you know?”

Keigo turns over the build-a-bear in his hands, fingers lightly tracing one of the ears. 

“You know, Sho told me to give it to someone special, someone who I want to give it to and who would really want it. And- god, I don’t know why I am even telling you this, but you were the first person that popped in my head when he said that,” Keigo still wasn’t looking at Junki, still too scared and way too embarrassed to meet the older’s eyes.

“Anyways,” Keigo clears his throat, “what I’m saying is, is that I like you, Kono Junki. I really fucking like you and I don’t know when it started but it did, it happened and you have me wrapped around you pinky finger, honestly. So I want to give you this bear, and you can do whatever you want with it. I want it to have new, happier memories, and not be abandoned. That is, if you’ll have me as well?”

They came as a package deal, Junki knew that much. The teddy bear was one of the first gifts that Keigo actually put thought into, for someone he truly liked and it breaks Junki’s heart whenever he looked at the bear. He didn’t know if he could take it until Keigo’s hands accidentally pressed the button, a giggle interrupting Junki’s thoughts. 

“S-sorry!” Keigo was fiddling with the bear, figuring that it was a bad idea to re-gift the present to Junki when he wasn’t answering. The laugh filled his ears and it gave him a headache; he thought he might cry. 

But instead, Junki laughs with the bear. It was lightly, a tiny chuckle at first until it turned into a full blown laughter that had Keigo joining in soon after. And just like that the previous reputation of the bear is lost, and Junki takes a step closer to Keigo, a finger reaching out but not quite touching yet.

The corner of the blonde’s mouth quirks up slightly, holding it out to Junki when he notices. 

“Will you?”

Junki quirked an eyebrow up, “will I what?”

Junki wants him to say it again, but properly this time. He knew what the blonde was getting at earlier, and it made his heart race that much faster.

“Kono Junki,” Keigo stands up straighter now, pushing the bear out in both of his hands until his arms have extended fully, “will you please do me the honor of becoming my boyfriend, and taking this bear as a token of my love?”

Junki snorts at the sentiment, but takes the bear gently anyway.

“I would love to be yours,” the older says softly, taking yet another step closer. Now they’re inches apart, breathes mingling. All Keigo does is look down, eyes locking on Junki’s lips because this was just so different and he couldn’t handle it. But he’s happy, so happy that there is a smile that Keigo is trying so hard to fight away but it keeps coming back, and Junki takes Keigo’s chin in his hand and lifts.

“Don’t shy away from me, yeah?” He’s so gentle, hands delicate on Keigo’s chin and his words were as light as a feather, barely audible. And Junki can’t take it anymore, so he kisses him to seal the deal.

_Boyfriends._

At the word Keigo pressed against Junki even more, not even caring about the way Junki let go of the teddy bear to bring his other hand up into Keigo’s hair, a light tug here and there.

Junki’s sent into a frenzy from the way Keigo is taking control so quickly, hands at the hips now and pulling him impossibly closer. It was rough; just the way the older liked it. 

_Boyfriends._

Keigo may have had good intentions before, but now all he had were bad intentions as he pushed Junki back forcefully against the bed. 

It’s the same as before, kissing him now. But it’s different with the label, seemingly like nothing was off-limits — as if things were off-limits before, which nothing was anyway — but now being together officially the boys could fully let their feelings out into each kiss, each touch.

As Keigo spreads his body across Junki’s, letting his body weight just slightly on top of him, the older bucks his own self up to get even closer. It makes the bed shake, but neither cares for the noise that it makes against the floor, and then the wall when the bed comes back to its original position. That’s for another day when the university students will come at them, teasing and thumping their hands on the table, mimicking the noises of this night.

_Boyfriends._

It’s still the same as before, hot and heated as it’s all they know how to do. Keigo’s hand is delicate on Junki’s face, but that’s the only thing that was soft about their make-out session. The other hand was trailing down the side of the older’s body, fingers finding their way to his waistband all too easily.

Junki wasn’t that much better, hands still in the blonde hair and pulling in every direction. One leg curls around the younger’s, keeping him in place on top of him as they struggle for air but don’t want to break away just yet.

_Boyfriends._

It’s in the back of their minds, and it’s like a sigh of relief when they can finally put a label on their relationship. 

“K-Kei-” Junki couldn’t even get his full name out as Keigo bit down on his collarbone hard, letting his tongue soothe it as Junki cried out in shortened gasps. Nails are digging deeper, and Keigo loves the feeling of Junki pushing up even more, hating the pain but chasing after the pleasure.

It doesn’t take long for clothes to come off and get stuck in every corner of the room.

The couple takes is slow now, Junki rolling them over and decreasing their pace. It’s achingly slow to Keigo, but he lays still as Junki presses butterfly kisses to his face, trying to slow down his own heart rate. He stares at Keigo’s swollen lips, a shine on them that makes Junki want to jump the younger right then and there but he keeps the urge away.

The blonde whines after Junki, trying to pull him back in but Junki presses a hot hand to Keigo’s bare chest, sending him a smirk that makes his head spin.

“Shh, baby. We have all night,” he leans down to whisper in the younger’s ear, taking a nip at the earlobe and Keigo’s breathing quickened. Junki smirks again at Keigo’s reaction, a light chuckle filling Keigo’s ear before the older moves away again. 

“Just- kiss me. Please,” it’s desperate, hands grabbing at exposed skin and Junki thinks he’s had enough fun.

So it gets heated again, but the pace is still slow as they kiss open mouthed and hot, cupping each other’s faces and not letting them move away. 

It continues on like this well into the night, slow kisses trailing jawlines, down the chest, down down down, sending each other into euphoria. Junki thinks he’s about to collapse as the hours go on, but it doesn’t matter because he’s with Keigo and time stands still forever.

Keigo doesn’t even know what time it is, or how long they’ve been at it, or even how many times. All he knows is that Junki is right there next to him, snuggled up in his arms and breathing evening out from their previous activities.

Junki traces random shapes on Keigo’s chest, not wanting to fall asleep just yet for the memories would then fade into the back of his mind. He wanted to keep Keigo’s red face in his thoughts, mouth open and head tilted back impossibly far. 

The thought made Junki shudder, but he was too tired to do anything more so he buried his face in the younger’s chest, hugging just a little tighter.

“Don’t fall asleep on me Junkichi,” Keigo swept a hand through his boyfriend’s — he loved thinking that now — hair, “don’t I at least get a goodnight kiss?”

Junki wrinkles his nose at the question, but he still brings his head up and presses a chaste kiss to the younger’s that has Keigo chasing after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry not sorry


	40. Episode 40. "It's All Fun and Games"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiana Lede - Wicked Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oopsies i'm starting to swear a lot more. i hate my word choices

Fortunately for the university students it was now winter break for them, and especially since it was Friday it didn’t matter to them when they fell asleep. Unfortunately for them, Junki and Keigo were making all sorts of noises upstairs. 

When the students downstairs would raise the volume on the tv, somehow it was like the boys upstairs could hear them, raising their own voices and pounding even harder which made the bed squeak louder and louder. Sometimes the bed would hit the wall, and when it happened for the third time a certain black-haired boy downstairs just lost it.

“Honestly this was worse than before, what the fuck were we thinking?” Syoya’s ripping his hair out when the banging continues at a surprisingly steady rhythm; he had to give them that at least. 

“Okay, but they’re obviously together now. Maybe they’ll move out soon, so we won’t have to hear them anymore,” Shosei rationalizes, a hand wrapping around Syoya in comfort as the older man has his hands over his ears. Syoya groans, face buried in the blonde’s chest. He hopes that the extra padding of Shosei will drown out the noise.

It doesn’t.

The blonde just chuckles at the shudder of the older. Though he was, too, internally cringing at the noises, there was nothing he could do so he just tried to focus on the movie in front of him that’s steadily seeming to rise in volume.

“Well, they sure are getting an earful of me tomorrow,” Sukai huffs, arms crossing over his chest. 

Shosei leans over to hit the younger, “that’ll be so embarrassing for them, Sukai! You can’t do that.”

“Just watch me.”

Sure, it might be embarrassing for the olders when they hear that the university students heard them all night long, too scared to go up to their own bedrooms (those who lived on the second floor at least), so instead all of them cuddled together on the couch downstairs. No one would be able to sleep tonight, so the least they could do is spend it together and bond over the horrific noises coming from upstairs.

This night would definitely scar the boys for the rest of their life, muffled screams and bangs imprinted in the back of their mind. 

“I think we should make the same noises that they are when we see them next,” Shion huffs when they hear the scratching noise of the bed legs against the floor.

“That’d be even _more_ embara-”

“No, no. I like the idea, let the man speak,” Sukai interrupts Shosei with an outstretched hand, leaning forward a little to look at Shion who is sitting at the other end. He’s curious as to what Shion was getting at, and an evil thought entered his mind instantly.

“What I am saying is, let’s give them a taste of their own medicine,” Shion smirks as he sits back into the soft cushions, already wracking his brain for what he could do to the eldest roommates.

* * *

Junki was adamant about making Keigo play the childhood game he saw yesterday.

Somehow, it popped back into his mind the next morning as he woke up first, eyes lingering on Keigo’s sleeping face. Thoughts and memories were flying past in his mind in spurts; staggering, short blips of past words and images but they're still as clear as ever.

Junki quirked his lips at the thought of playing the Game of Life with Keigo; he can only imagine that the younger would get stuck with a car full of kids (probably all girls at that too), and would get stuck with home damages and whatnot. It made Junki chuckle, and Keigo wants to hear that husky laugh when he wakes up every morning.

Keigo hums, pulling Junki closer to him as he buries his head in the older’s chest, away from the sunlight streaming in through the shades. Junki could lay like this forever, and he almost gives in and does just that but the overwhelming feeling of beating Keigo at that game (and many, many more) was much too powerful for the older. 

So he gently lifts the younger’s arms away from him, heart breaking at the whine but Junki still continues the action anyway.

“Come on, get up sexy, we’re going on a trip,” Junki smiled cutely, and it made Keigo stop and stare. So maybe his breath got caught in his throat as he watched Junki change into new clothes, finding the scattered ones that landed on the floor, the dresser, the chair, and putting them into the hamper. 

“You slowpoke, come on!” And that’s what brings Keigo out of his trance as he watched Junki propped up on his elbow. The elder walks over, hands reaching out to pull the bare Keigo from the bed. 

He’s ripped from the warm sheets, the air feeling so much more cold then he remembered and his teeth start to chatter.

“I think this is bullying, and from my own boyfriend no less,” Keigo grumbles, wrapping his arms around himself to try and warm up as he looks for clothes, until Junki shoves a clean set into his chest.

“Quit your whining, _boyfriend,_ ” Junki smirks, loving the way the world rolled off his tongue so easily. 

Junki leaves him to change by himself, happily humming a light tune as he walks downstairs and into the kitchen for a quick breakfast. He’s cracking several eggs into a large bowl when Keigo comes down minutes later, still shivering as he walks up behind the older man to embrace him.

“Your body is always so warm, you're like my personal heater,” Keigo presses his face into the black hair and it makes Junki almost drop the bowl as he’s now beating the eggs. He wills his heart to calm down, going along with the recipe’s he’s now mesmerized. 

It’s not until the omelette is almost done cooking that the university students come stumbling into the kitchen from the living room, full of yawns and stretches and scuffing feet.

“You- how- why were all of you coming from the living room?” Keigo had turned around at the noise, arms still wrapped around Junki but they were looser now, body twisted. 

“Maybe if you weren’t-” Sukai thumps his fist on the dining room table twice and lets out a small moan, “-all night long I would be coming from upstairs, waking up from a peaceful night’s rest.”

His smile was sickeningly sweet, sending an eerily chill down Keigo’s spine and into the depths of his soul. Shosei smacks the younger man on the chest, giving him a warning look even though last night they all agreed to tell them off in some way or another.

“What, i-it’s true! And by the way, you snore _really_ loud, Shosei. I think you should get that checked out,” and they start to bicker over what happened last night, tension in the room evaporating as the boys took their seats at the table. 

“I’m sorry, I only prepared breakfast for Keigo and I since I knew the both of us were up, but I can make you all something if you want,” Junki smiles sheepishly as he brought the finished, rolled omelette over and places it in front of Junki and Keigo’s seats. Syoya just gives a knowing sidewards glance, waving a hand and grabbing a box of cereal.

“This is hearty enough, right boys?” Syoya just smiles as he sets the large box on the table, going back to get four bowls. It’s the least they could eat as Syoya thinks that the boys besides him would need the strength and energy from those eggs considering what happened last night. 

But Shion doesn’t want to let it go just yet. He’s still pissed that he woke up with a kink in his neck that he still has yet to loosen. 

“So after all the-” Shion mimics Sukai from earlier, with even harder thumps on the table, “-last night, are you two still only going at it or are you something more. Please, please give me the good news.”

Since Keigo had asked out the older, it’s all the house ever talked about. Word got out (Keigo had to tell Syoya, and there was also some eavesdropping involved) about the date, and from then on it was teasing the older roommates when they were alone. Keigo shook his hair to hide his blushing face, and Junki just laughed at the reaction. 

“Well, he did give me the teddy bear so I guess that speaks for something,” and Syoya’s spoon clatters into his bowl at the words, eyes going wide. It’s not like the others don’t know about the bear either, as it has been aired already, but it came as more of a shock to the black-haired boy since he was living in the house at the time, knowing Keigo and Sho’s relationship at that still-puppy-love stage more personally. 

“W-what?” Keigo’s heart leapt into his throat at the action, wondering if he did something wrong but Syoya just picked his spoon back up with slightly trembling hands and went back to what he was doing before. 

Syoya was happy for them. It warmed his heart that they figured it out, and could properly put a label on whatever this was. For them to express their feelings out in the open now, not worrying over the past because the past _was_ the past, and this is now. He chuckled a little at himself, thinking about the gift and how happy yet shy he was to give it to Sho. Now it belonged in the hands of Junki; he wouldn’t have guessed that months earlier but here they were.

The rest of breakfast goes smoothly — with a few teases here and there directed towards the older roommates — until they’re all done, and Junki announces that the boys would be leaving to do some shopping.

Keigo’s confused, and Shosei is oblivious as he brightens up excitedly at wanting to shop too. He didn’t want to let the others know that he hadn’t bought gifts for anyone yet, with the famous holiday being only a few days away. 

But Junki wasn’t making the shopping trip anything personal or sensual, as all he wanted to do was relive his childhood and drag Keigo to the nearest toy store, gathering all the games he could in his arms. So he invited everyone along then, seeing their expectant faces.

“Okay, okay. Pile in people, I’m driving!” Junki grabs the key to the Chevrolet, going outside to turn the car on and everyone follows suit. 

This time, it’s two to a row as Keigo and Junki were in the front seat, Sukai and Syoya in the middle, with Shion and Syoya stuck in the back. Sukai sticks his tongue out at the boys in the back, still somewhat bickering with them since breakfast and had made them sit in the trunk space because they were the _newest housemates._

Shion just huffed while Shosei rolled his eyes, eventually forgetting about the bickering and looked out the window at the snow covered ground. It twinkled in the sunlight, making it slightly hard to see but Shosei kept looking at it anyways because it was just so beautiful. Especially at the snow-covered mountains in the distance, tall and protective. 

It wasn’t long before the six reached a little toy store in the corner of the long strip of shops downtown. It was retro and old school, shelves filled to the brim with board games and video games and all other types of games too. You name it and you’d probably find it somewhere hidden in the shelves or hung up on the walls.

The oldest was quick to spot the board games on the wall to his left, eyes scanning the bright colors until they fell on the bright orange and green lettering that he was so familiar with. He sighed in relief, running over to the board game with Keigo on his trail as the university students split up down the aisles, all of them thinking this was the perfect time to get a present. 

Maybe they all had the same idea as Shosei, now knowing what the others liked enough, and having only lived with them for a few weeks or months. But later on from now, years into the future the tradition will keep going of them getting vintage board games and toys for each other, some with absolutely no use while others they can play with for hours on end.

They each gathered at the register separately, scoping out if the coast was clear to buy their games and when it was, they hurried the cashier to bag it before the others saw.

Life was even more chaotic when the six got back to the house, some bags going into each of the boys’ rooms as others were brought back to the living room, bought specifically for the purpose of their game day. Junki was first, though, to reveal his game.

It’s not like it was a secret in the first place, as most of the boys knew what the older had bought. His face was shining when he looked down at the game, curling his legs underneath him as he sat beside the low coffee table.

Junki claps his hands, “so, are you all ready to get wrecked?”

“I think Keigo’s always more than ready,” Shion says under his breath, but it’s still clear enough for him to get multiple smacks upside the head, “why are you hitting me, it’s _true!_ ”

Junki scoffs at the profanity — funny coming from him — as he opens the game board, passing out the car pieces to everyone. They’re all surrounding the small coffee table, practically on top of each other but they’re used to the close contact by now anyway.

They start to fight when Junki starts off with a career, getting the artist card but his salary was $70,000. 

“That’s completely unrealistic!” Keigo shouts.

“Babe, you don’t think I could ever become that good of an artist?” Junki’s bottom lip juts out in mockery, but Keigo doesn’t see it that way as he immediately goes to put his hand on Junki’s leg in comfort and tries to save himself.

“N-no, that’s not what I meant, I-” and Junki tries to hold back his smile, but it never works around Keigo. So he belts out a laugh, startling the blonde, which makes him whine even more when he realizes.

“I told you I’m good at life, Keigo.”

And good Junki was, as he managed to finish first and collect the most money, keeping his winning streak going. Keigo couldn’t tell you how many times he’s had to pay for his damaged house, while everyone else drove by him on the game board. Sadly, he wasn’t as good at board games as he was at video games.

“Tough break, Keigo-kun, but you did manage to finish even with all of your children!” Syoya slaps him hard on the back, playfully cooing over the fake children in Keigo’s car; he had three girls and one boy, a full car with his spouse in the front seat. Junki lets out a laugh until Keigo stops him.

“Hey, do you not want to raise these children with me? Those are yours too,” Keigo pouts, eyebrows furrowing and Junki brings up a hand to smooth the wrinkles that were forming on his forehead. He just shakes his head, giving a little smile. 

“Okay, since we know how bad Keigo is at the Game of Life, can we do mine now?” Shosei speaks up, hands tapping on his knees excitedly.

There’s a glint in his eyes that makes everyone not want to know what he has bought, but it’s too late as the blonde has already gotten up and brought his own shopping bag, pulling out a large white box with red, bold lettering across the top.

_Twister._

It was Syoya’s most hated game, as he wasn’t the most flexible person and always found himself stuck in awkward positions that just sends a shiver up his spine thinking about it now. The others see his distraught face and they love the game even more as Shosei goes to open the box and lay the mat down in the open floor space.

Syoya groans out Shosei’s name as he watches him lay out the plastic mat, smoothing out the wrinkles. Shosei acted like he didn’t hear him, and Syoya would have thought so too until he saw the smallest of smirks ghosting the blonde’s face.

“Okay babies, one foot on the side of the mat now,” Junki stands up in haste, loving where this could be going already. Sure he could get in trouble with Keigo later; could have his body twisted up against someone else’s, but there was also a possibility that it would be Keigo.

So, each of the boys lined the sides of the mat, a single foot placed on the outer spots. 

Shosei is the spinner, although he is playing too. He spins first, and the boys go around in a circle one by one to start placing body parts on dots. 

“Okay, Sukai. You have to . . . place your right foot on yellow,” and Sukai’s right foot was already on red, so he had to jump a little to get his foot over two rows but he managed to do so with ease. His eyebrows flew up, a small smirk on the corner of his lips as Shosei spun again for Syoya.

“Syoya, left hand on blue.”

It was easy for the black-haired male, being that he was on the same side as Sukai with his left foot on red, so he only had to bend down and put his left hand on the blue row right next to him. It made his heart calm down a little more, as he knew it would be impossible to get into an uncomfortable position when he was like this.

It’s a few more rounds until Syoya starts to have a panic attack. Shion got out a long time ago, surprisingly. But not surprising enough though, as Shosei accidentally bumps into him, causing the youngest to topple over and shout curse words. Surprisingly, Shion was always angry and shouting curses and threats at everyone, but later on he would apologize politely and fiddle with his fingers.

Keigo got out not too long after, two feet on green while one hand was on red. He was bent over backwards, facing the ceiling and it was killing his left arm to put all of his weight on it. Junki, being the loving boyfriend that he is, kept pressuring Keigo down towards the ground as he was towering over the blonde, the wheel never landing on hands for him. It made him nervous all of a sudden, his hands and legs trembling even more as Junki inched closer. It didn't help that the other roommates were watching, occasionally letting out a lewd moan or a slap on the thigh. Eventually Keigo couldn’t take his own weight and fell over, Junki’s nose almost touching his.

“T-that’s cheating!” Keigo whined from the ground, face red hot. Shosei doesn’t even say anything, just moving his finger to where Shion sat on the couch and motioning for the older blonde to join him. 

When Junki got out, it wasn’t as eventful as Syoya would have thought. What was more hilarious was Keigo’s reaction, of jumping up and fist pumping the air. He was still petty about him getting out early, always competitive. Plus, it was a bonus seeing how Junki could fail once again, reminding him of when they played Mario Kart all those weeks ago. 

Though to be fair, Junki could have won the round as his mistake was stupid. He put another hand down on the white to help himself put his right hand down across the mat, and since that was against the rule he was eliminated. But it didn’t look like Junki was that mad as he walked over to Keigo’s waiting arms.

Now it was Syoya, Sukai, and Shosei still playing the game. Shion now had the wheel to spin, flicking it over and over even when he didn’t have to as the players were still placing their hands or feet on the mat, purely for entertainment purposes only.

Fortunately for Syoya, the younger blonde was on the other side of the mat, far away.

Unfortunately for Syoya, the younger brown-haired one was right in front of him, body leaning over with a hand on one of the dots behind the older one while his legs were in front of him. It was uncomfortable for the both of them; Sukai had to make an impossible reach over the human body, while Syoya was basically doing the downward dog yoga pose.

It was way too close and intimate for Syoya to even think clearly, but the only thing that’s running through his mind are Keigo’s words from a week ago.

 _I will take Junki out on a date, but only if you take Sukai on a date._

And fuck, Keigo managed to score and win on his own date, which makes Syoya’s heart crawl up his throat. He can feel his veins popping in his neck as he strains his head even further down, making the blood rush to his head but then that makes his ass go further up in Sukai’s face. Clearly, doing nothing was the best option at the moment. 

“S-Shion, spin the wheel please,” Syoya tries to play it off like he was hurting in his position — and to be fair it was uncomfortable to be supporting his weight like that — in hopes that Shion will pity him and spin it. It’s not like he couldn’t, his finger was playing with the spinner constantly. But it seems like time froze as Shion just looks at the older with a smirk on his face.

Keigo has one too, and Syoya blinks his eyes several times before shutting them tight.

It certainly didn't help when the tables seemed to have turned onto the black-haired boy, crude moans (supposedly lead by Keigo himself) filling his ears much louder than they actually were, mixing with the blood pounding that he could hear. He was glad he didn't have to look at the one above him.

His headache was getting worse.

_-take Sukai on a date-_

“For fuck’s sake, Shion! Spin the damn wheel!” He was trembling; maybe because he hasn’t been going to the gym as often as he would like so he’s a little weak, or maybe because Sukai was so close to him, parts of him much closer to parts of Syoya than he would like but it’s not like he can move.

Syoya wanted to _win._

The youngest let out a giggle, finally flicking the spinner.

“Syoya. Left foot green.”

It caused the other university student to sigh out in slight relief. He can extend his body now, lowering it easier away from the other one on top of him. Syoya’s face was still bent, beet red. The reflection from the red spots on the mat only inches below him weren’t making him look any better, as Shosei could see the deep red cheeks and giggled. It was still daytime, the sunlight coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows at such an angle that is so not helpful to Syoya right now.

“Shosei. Right hand yellow.”

The blonde does as he’s told, but he puts his hand on a dot that’s a little bit further than necessary.

Okay, a lot further than necessary. But he thought it was cute when Syoya’s face resembles a tomato, giggling at the older. His face was now a foot apart from the other, eyes tracing a pattern that connected the freckles like constellations. 

Sukai couldn’t see what was going on, but he could hear the soft laughter of a certain haired blonde and the annoyed whine of the black-haired boy, only guessing what could be going on behind his back. It was too much to keep his head up, so all he could do was let it hang down, trying to keep his gaze on the various dots below but somehow it always ended up on Syoya’s butt, perky in his jeans.

It made him swallow hard.

“Sukai. Right hand green.”

And god, Sukai knew that Shion was doing this on purpose, loving to see the older ones in misery. 

With his feet still planted on blue and yellow, Sukai reached over to place a hand on the closest green he could touch. But this made him have to sit slightly on Syoya, trying to keep his body weight up but they’ve been going at it for at least twenty minutes now and the young adults were tired.

“H-hey-” Syoya cries out when he feels Sukai sitting on him, making his arms start to give way. Sukai curses, lifting his hips with effort but he knows he won’t last long. He didn’t have the core strength to go on longer, and he wills Shion with his eyes to flick the spinner again.

A couple more rounds later, Shosei managed to get closer to Syoya, face right up next to him but then he lost his balance later when he got cocky enough to try and stretch further away from him to intimidate the older. Syoya only snorted at the younger man, glad to have one less person trying to get up in his face.

And then — Syoya doesn’t know how they’ve lasted this long, nevermind got in this position — Syoya’s put in a similar situation as Keigo was before, hands behind him as he faces the ceiling. His biceps are on fire, hips jutting up every now and then to not let his butt touch the mat but it’s virtually useless. Sukai is over him now, one hand on red with the other on yellow, entrapping the older. Sure, both of his legs were side by side and not wrapped around Syoya like his arms, but they were facing each other and all Syoya wants to do is bring back the mean one from two months ago, yelling at Sukai to get out of his face.

Sukai up close was scary and intimidating; he had a sharp bone structure with eyes that were small and lidded and pursed lips making Syoya’s stomach do flips in all the wrong ways. 

And Sukai could totally turn his head away from Syoya, he had all the head room in the world to look away. But his gaze was locked on the younger, calculating and inquisitive. Syoya didn’t know what to think.

_-Sukai on a date-_

“Fuck,” he whispers, letting the word carry through the air. He hoped that the syllables would break away as soon as they left his lips, before they got to Sukai’s ear but the younger was so close, he heard it perfectly clear.

So he sent a smirk Syoya’s way, head facing the older and away from those eliminated on the couch who wouldn’t see his facial expressions. But they could see Syoya’s, and his eyes were widening at the smirk. 

It got his breath to quicken in no time, impossibly fast and it made Syoya dizzy. 

And when he goes down, Sukai is right behind him as soon as he sees the older’s eyes closing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these games better be universal or i'm sueing
> 
> also 1000 hits i'm- :'( i never expected that but i'm excited to see how far this fic goes and hopefully more people will read it. i hope you all like it so far! it should be winding down soon


	41. Episode 41 "A Role Reversal"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NF - Got You On My Mind

“-oya, Syoya. God, Syoya!” 

That’s when the black-haired male comes to; to the sounds of his name being shouted and his shoulders being shaken. It didn’t help the fuzziness in his head, and Syoya lets out a whimper instead of opening his eyes to let them know he’s awake. Hopefully the person will shop shaking him.

Warmth is washing over the university student in waves; it’s much too hot and the air is too stuffy for him to breathe in properly. But then he feels bangs being pushed out of the way, a cold cloth on his forehead. He sighs in relief, eyes still closed.

“Syoya, oh thank god,” a voice murmurs, swimming distortedly in one ear and out the other. He couldn’t tell who was talking. 

But he didn’t want to open his eyes. He was still dizzy, nauseous even and he knew that the bright light from outside would make him suffer more. So he just laid there, underneath the cooling towel and tried to even his breathing out. 

“Syoya,” the voice was raising in panic now, high pitched, “Syoya-kun, you have to open your eyes. Please.”

The economics student really hated the way that voice sounded, but it still felt like elephants were sitting on his eyelids and he just didn't have the strength pry them open. His head was heavy, so heavy and if he opened his eyes he thought he might vomit. But the voice sounded so pained as it kept begging, a feather-like touch on his shoulder that he just _knows_ belonged to the voice.

And so eventually Syoya opens his eyes, slowly at first when the light hits them. Everything is blurry and he needs time to adjust to coming back. He sees a figure above him, colors blending together into one mess of absolute mud. 

“Someone, get a blanket and cover the window! Something, we need to dim the room,” it’s frantic as he sees Syoya’s face screwed up. Hands are on Syoya now, swiping over his hair gently and rubbing his arms. It should make the black-haired boy feel even more claustrophobic to feel the arms caging him slightly and a body above him but for some reason he doesn’t.

It’s scary, but not at the same time.

Syoya tries to open his eyes again when he can see the dimming of the light behind his closed eyelids. He relaxes his face, eyes opening again. The face above him comes back into focus slowly, and he recognizes the long, brown fringe before the rest of the face.

It gets him heated all over again, and all the older one can do is sigh as he doesn’t want to feel what he felt before.

“W-what-?” He doesn’t get the rest of his sentence out, choking on his dry throat and Sukai placed a palm to his chest. 

“Don’t speak right now. You fainted, not that long ago though. Maybe five minutes,” Sukai shushes the older, hand moving back up to the cloth to move it around, pressing it just a little bit harder against the older’s forehead. Syoya hums, eyes falling back closed again.

“Jesus, Sukai-kun. Are you dehydrated or something, you were all red before, but now. Now you’re sickly pale,” and Syoya wants to laugh at the eldest’s words, but all he can do it hum again in acknowledgment. 

He didn’t feel dehydrated, no. That wasn’t it. Instead, it was the opposite; he was sweating too much when he was underneath Sukai, straining and getting heated way too quickly in such a short amount of time. It doesn’t help that all the blood rushed to his head earlier, making his mind all fuzzy and out of focus, his tongue heavy in his mouth.

“N-no, I’m not,” he manages to get out through his chapped lips. That’s when Sukai shifts his position from next to Sukai to the top of his head, gently raising it so it’s in his lap as Sukai sinks down to his knees. Syoya feels his head being lifted in the slowest way possible, and he sighs in satisfaction when he starts to feel the air become less stuffy, thoughts clearing out steadily.

Sukai massages the younger’s head, fingers digging into his hair and lightly scratching the scalp in just the right way that makes Syoya shiver. He doesn’t even realize it, eyes still closed, but the others were looking in on their intimate moment.

Sukai’s facing down as well, oblivious to the other students holding up the blanket still to block the sunlight while Junki and Keigo are waiting for orders, not sure if they should huddle around the fainted boy, get some water, or a new cold washcloth. But they figure that Syoya was in good hands, seeing how his lips curled up in just the slightest way that you would miss it if you weren’t watching carefully.

Kego smirks a little. It’s starting to look like the younger ones would go on that date, but the blonde doesn’t know which one will ask out the other at this point.

With Sukai’s caring eyes on the older and fingertips disappearing into the black hair, there was no question that there was something going on, be it said or unsaid.

It’s a few more minutes before Syoya can open his eyes fully, keeping them open for more than a second or two. He’s never fainted before; it was like an out of body experience for him, feeling weightless and yet heavy all at once. But the cloth on his forehead cooled his body temperature down just a little, and he could think just a little bit more clearly too.

Syoya makes eye contact with Sukai, and when he does the younger’s soft features hardened slightly, wrinkles on his forehead increasing with worry.

“If you didn’t look so sickly, god, I would hit you so hard right now,” Sukai whines, hand leaving the older’s hair. It only returned when Syoya squirms from the absence, reaching for the comfort to be brought back. Sukai scoffs, but he brings his hand back up without hesitation.

No one wanted to interrupt their moment, but the others wanted to check up on Syoya as well, making sure he was safe and healthy. So Junki walks over slowly, crouching down next to Syoya who turns his head towards him slightly when he notices.

“Don’t ever make us worry like that again! If you feel like you’re going to faint, just sit down, it’s okay. You don’t have to keep going on if you didn’t want to,” he says gently, eyes pleading. He only had a feeling as to why Syoya got so red, despite the cold air from the windows (it was always cold in the living room now due to this). 

“I didn’t think I would faint,” Syoya rasped with a chuckle, eyes fluttering open and closed. He still had a headache, but it was being massaged away slowly.

Keigo came up behind Junki with a glass of water for Syoya to drink. He basically shoved it into the younger’s face, letting him know he wanted Syoya to drink up. Syoya opened his mouth obediently, glad to have something cool and wet to wash through his dry throat. It was difficult at first, the angle making Syoya want to choke on the water instead but Sukai lifted him just that much more up to help him, supporting his head.

And when Syoya’s eyes finally start to adjust to the lighting, Shosei and Shion lower the blanket slowly to let the sunlight filter through. It still hurts though, the brightness of the sun reflecting off the white snow and there was no escaping from it either, the walls of the room being white as well.

It’s obvious that they wouldn’t continue the rest of game day now. So instead the boys walked Syoya to the rooms down the hall, going into Shosei’s. It was much cleaner than the other student’s, and since it was on the first floor (along with Shion's but Syoya vehemently refused to go into his), it was easy to get to. Syoya didn’t think he could walk up the winding staircase to get to his.

Now it was Sukai’s turn to take care of Syoya. Except this time, Syoya wasn’t nearly as sick. And honestly, he was already feeling better and probably only needed a quick nap until he was fully back to his original health but Sukai insisted he lay in bed and not get up until the next morning, at least. 

“Syoya, get your feet-”

“Sukai, I think Syoya knows how to get into bed,” Shosei interrupts, pulling the drapes closed over the windows. He had let the boys into his room, the others out in the hallway and glancing in but too afraid to come any closer, giving Syoya the space he needed to breathe. 

“Don’t tell me-” Sukai begins and is cut off once again. Keigo had followed the three into the room, and went to pull Shosei out after seeing the situation at hand.

“Shosei, I think Syoya needs some time alone. I know that Sukai really wants to do this, and he’s good at it too. Why don’t you just let him?”

“H-hey, but this is my room! I want to help!”

“I think it should be Sukai this time,” Keigo locks eyes with the younger, and there is some sort of connection between the two. It was heard through the grapevine that Syoya had taken care of Sukai when he was sick, obvious when Soya would be seen going in and out of the younger’s room with medicine and a panicked look on his face. Keigo could only assume to connect the dots, much like what he was doing right now with the current situation.

And Keigo pulls the owner of the room out of it gently despite his protests, still oblivious to what goes on around him. 

The black-haired boy may have already snuggled tightly underneath the comforters, but Sukai didn’t miss the wink that was sent their way. He wasn’t sure what that was about, and really wanted to get it out of his mind so instead he turned towards the older who was still shuffling around under the covers.

Syoya’s forehead still seemed like it was burning up when Sukai went to touch it next. Even the younger couldn’t keep his hand on the older’s face for long; it was radiating heat.

“God, Syoya. Are you sick now, too? Is that what made you faint?” Sukai clicks his tongue in disbelief, groaning. Syoya’s eyes just flutter slightly, still closed but he could hear everything. 

It was fading away, though, as he was lulling back to sleep from the comfortable mattress and pillows. It doesn’t help him stay awake when Sukai’s back by his side, hand moving up from his forehead and into his hair once again. 

The brown-haired boy can’t get enough of Syoya’s soft hair, the way it falls back as light as a feather when he runs his hands all the way through and the hair loosens itself from his fingers. There’s a faint hum coming from the older, but it’s subconscious as he knows Syoya was fast asleep now.

Sukai’s infamous smirk is now ghosting his lips, tugging at it forcefully and he’s just so afraid to let it come through even though he’s the only one awake in the room. And maybe he stares at Syoya a little bit too long, counting the eyelashes that lay gracefully across his cheeks. Maybe he stares a little bit too long, memorizing the lines of his face, the bone structure, the outline of his lips. Maybe he stares a little bit too long.

Long enough to become completely infatuated with the older and he doesn’t even realize it.

Maybe Sukai was affected by the earlier events too. God, he was so scared when he saw Syoya go down like that. The way the older’s eyes rolled back into his head, Sukai could see the red lines of his eyes just before he closed them and it made him sick to his stomach.

The older had dropped quickly, legs and arms giving out and he just flopped down like a rag doll. Sukai had screamed, thinking he had broken something on his way down with how his limbs had landed. He, too, dropped quickly right besides Syoya, hands touching everywhere just to find out that Syoya wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon.

Bile rose in his throat at the way the older’s skin was turning white, rosy cheeks fading all too quickly. Everyone else got up in an instant, rushing to crowd over Syoya and it was all too overwhelming. Sukai was ready to burst into tears, already seeing Syoya swimming in his vision but he blinked them away quickly. A stray tear manages to escape, down to the edge of his chin before Sukai notices and wipes it away.

“Syoya, god damn it Syoya!” Everyone is screaming now, while the black-haired male lays down looking somehow peaceful. Ethereal. 

And the panic starts to settle in Sukai’s stomach, weighing him down impossibly so. He’s trembling, fingers stuttering across the older’s heated skin but he can’t seem to stop them from moving rapidly. Or moving his fingers anywhere far from Syoya.

He’s cursing, wondering where he went wrong with the older. Did he miss something? Had Syoya not properly eaten, or drank enough? Was the heat on too much, or maybe not enough?

There was no way that Sukai could not have noticed the drastic color change in Syoya’s face; it was much too obvious. Syoya was usually pale, having porcelain skin to match the frail boy but Sukai didn’t think the older was this weak. It was surprising to see so much color in the boy’s face, and Sukai couldn't look away, nevermind try to figure out why he looked so different.

And maybe he’s blaming himself, thinking that he was the closest, should have known something was wrong. Minutes have passed and Syoya still hasn’t woken up and maybe Sukai just wants to let the flood of tears break open the dam he is building up but he can’t, not here. Not now.

And when Syoya did finally open his eyes, groggy and strained, Sukai could let out a breath of relief.

And he doesn’t realize it until Syoya wakes up a few hours later, Sukai now laying on the bed beside him with his back against the headboard. An arm was over the older’s shoulder as Syoya moved around in his sleep to curl up against the younger, head on Sukai’s lower stomach and hand wrapped all the way around in a loose embrace.

Not until Syoya opens his eyes with a yawn, hand weakly gripping his shirt as he looks around confused until he sees Sukai. Then his surroundings become clearer as he remembers.

“Good afternoon, sleeping beauty,” Sukai greets him in a familiar fashion, a smile playing on his lips. Syoya just makes a light noise, feeling his brain pushing against his skull still but it wasn’t as bad as it was before. 

So he squeezes Sukai just a little bit harder with the little effort he can muster, hoping that it will take his mind off of his headache. It works for only a moment.

Sukai lets out a chuckle, seeing this side of Syoya. He didn’t even know how much he was first deprived of this cuddly and soft side; it was always there, since the first day Syoya moved in in late September, but due to their fight Sukai just never saw the carefree and loving side. 

And he’s kicking himself for not ever trying to explain where the communication went wrong, wishing he could have those few weeks back where the two boys could have gotten closer because this was so, _so_ much better than all of those useless fights and shouting that only caused the both of them headaches and heartaches. 

And now that he is experiencing it, all to himself, he doesn’t want to give it up just yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a-another sick fic? I wasn’t planning on it (literally didn’t even think about it until i wrote the last sentence of the previous chapter) but here ya go
> 
> kinda short again, i'm sorry


	42. Episode 42. "They're Gonna Eat Him Alive"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life of Dillon - Only Fools Fall In Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not edited :'))

Later than night, Syoya had insisted that he was healthy and feeling better enough to go back and meet the other roommates. Sukai was ready to push him back down, starting to sit up and get leverage just to do so but Syoya pushes him away just to show him that he’s gotten his strength back.

Sukai smirks, hands raising in defense as he gets out of the bed first. Maybe it’s childish when he doesn’t try and help Syoya out of bed, but if the man said he was re-energized then Sukai was just going to sit back and watch. It’s not until the older man stumbles out of bed a little, foot getting caught in the sheets does Sukai launch his body forward to stabilize Syoya. 

“I thought you said you’re healthy, do you want to go back to being bedridden again but this time with a broken ankle?” Sukai scoffs, telling the older to be more careful. Syoya stays silent, red gracing his cheeks as he watches Sukai hold him up with one hand, the other loosening the sheets. It was difficult to balance on one leg with the other higher up in the air (even if it was too resting on a surface) so Syoya leaned heavily on Sukai.

“I’m fine, that’s not my fault,” but maybe it was, as Syoya was a restless sleeper. His legs went everywhere, twitching and skimming the open bed and it drove Sukai just a little nuts, but it was also endearing at the same time. Syoya would kick a little, but it made him snuggle up closer to the younger; it was a compromise that Sukai was just fine with.

“You’re just an overgrown baby that needs to be taken care of twenty-four seven,” Sukai mutters, finally tugging Syoya’s foot loose. 

When the two finally managed to get out of the room and enter the living room, the other boys were each doing their own thing whether it be watching tv, eating, or at the dining table doing last minute work (see: still Christmas shopping).

Shion was he first to notice them, being the closest to the entrance of the hallway. 

“Syoya!” It was loud, almost bringing his headache back and he flinched at the noise. Sukai gave him a less than impressed look, the arm around Syoya pulling him closer.

“S-sorry,” Shion managed to get out when he put two and two together, hand finding its way to the back of his neck, “I didn’t mean to get so loud. I’m just glad to see you’re all better now, right?”

The others have crowded over now, eyes wide and expecting. Syoya just gives a small smile and a nod.

It was this type of pitying attention that he hated the most. He felt claustrophobic with everyone looking at him, and the feeling of heat made his mind start to go fuzzy again. Sukai seemed to know how he was feeling when he shooed them away, guiding Syoya over to the kitchen and making him sit down so he could eat. Syoya hasn’t eaten since that morning, before the toy store.

“Syoya, what do you feel like? Maybe a bowl of rice, or something lighter to ease your stomach?” Sukai was busy looking through the fridge, and then the cabinets as he wondered what to make for the younger. 

Junki bumped the younger out of the way with his hip, telling him that he will make Syoya some porridge instead. He swears by it that it’s the perfect sickness healer (even if Syoya wasn’t technically sick). The eldest drags Sukai over to the table while he’s protesting against his will, but it doesn’t matter either way now because Sukai doesn’t have to worry over making the meal perfect and tasting good, and he can also sit next to Syoya and make sure he won’t faint on the dining table.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I swear, I’m fine!” Syoya was getting mad now. It’s not like he likes the attention — he wouldn't mind it, but right now it was all just too much, with too many things occupying Syoya’s mind — and it’s starting to make him uncomfortable.

The outburst made Sukai stop for a second, glancing away just to return his gaze.

He couldn’t help it, though. Syoya’s intoxicating to him, and he just wants to make sure that the older is better; to see him smile and laugh again. He wants to catch the older making a misstep so he can’t do it again and get himself hurt, or worse for next time. 

“Alright, here’s your dinner Syoya. As for the rest of you, it’s help yourselves!” Junki declares, a wicked smile on his face as he was only in the mood for a quick dinner of whatever was in the fridge as leftovers. The black-haired male chuckled, stirring the porridge around with his spoon as he let it cool. He watched the steam come out of it instead, eyes trailing the thin grey wisps.

Everyone else groaned, feet scuffling and chair legs scratching the floor to be heard as they all piled into the kitchen after one another to make their own dinner. Turns out, everyone had the same or similar idea as Junki did, making the quickest and easiest dinner possible for themselves. 

Within minutes everyone else had gathered at the table with their own meal (a bowl of cereal here, a bowl of instant ramen there) and sat quietly, eyeing each other. 

Conversation had died out, no one daring to touch topics on Syoya, and they really didn’t want to bring up school and work or what they would do after New Years came around. 

But Junki hated the silence — as he always did, getting anxious at the white noise — so he just had to speak up. 

“What are you all going to be doing over the next few days? We have what, a week or two off? And especially before Christmas comes around, it’s on Wednesday!” Junki is hyped to be spending Christmas with his roommates, and especially Keigo. He loves to unwrap his presents to see what he got, but he loves even more is to give them. To see the facial expressions on the receiver’s face when he hands it over and they go to unwrap it, surprised by the contents inside. 

“I plan on watching movies with you all day everyday, you’re not allowed to go anywhere,” Keigo immediately states, face scrunching up at the older. Junki laughs, pushing him away and begging the others to chime in because Keigo was being too cheesy for him.

“I’m getting together with friends from school. It’s kind of for our senior project, but more of just messing around with instruments and light playing. Honestly, there will probably be more talking than playing, though,” Shosei says shyly. He’s embarrassed to be doing work when school was out until after New Years, but it was a relaxer for him as well as the other music majors to just, well, do music. And they could take advantage of their time playing by messing around with chords and notes and lyrics, having fun while they're at it.

“Oh, me too! I’m hanging out with friends too,” Syoya chimes in. He hates to admit it, but the porridge Junki made got him feeling back to his old self now, hyperactive and all smiles.

“I was planning on hanging out with some college friends, maybe ice skating? We haven’t figured out the details yet, but it’ll probably be Monday at some point,” he continues on talking about the ice skating rink and how he was so excited to meet his friends again.

It’s been a long time since he saw them all, since they got close during their freshman year during some random general education classes. They were all in different majors, so as the years went by they had less and less classes with each other, but roomed together in an apartment off campus for their sophomore and junior years. This year, though, was obviously different for them, but they still managed to keep in contact over the past few months, grabbing a cup of coffee before class, or a late dinner after a long day. But it was rare, since during senior year everyone was busy trying to make a last ditch effort to keep their grades high, or get their grade point average up (with their senior project or thesis on top of it also, consuming most of their time). 

The others could see the sadness slip in slightly, but Syoya thought he had done a good job of explaining to the others his friends and what they hoped to do in a few days. 

“Well, that’s great to see your friends Syoya, but why do you seem kind of sad about it?” And Syoya wasn’t sad, he was more mad. He hadn’t said anything, but the group chat between the boys had wanted to include their significant others since ice skating was _romantic_ and _it’s like killing two birds with one stone._

Syoya hadn’t even met most of the other’s girlfriends before, sometimes forgetting they were dating completely. Syoya remembered that Sato Raira was dating his girlfriend for the longest time, over a year in fact so she often came over to their apartment and hung out, watching tv or studying with them. The other boys had started dating over the summer (though he is not sure about Miyajima Yugo, because he had been flirting with his now girlfriend for some time. Syoya believes that they've been dating secretly since at least the spring and just haven’t told anyone. But the black-haired male hadn’t seen her a lot, probably because they were dating and they wanted to keep it a secret to the less time they spent together in public the better). 

Syoya also knows that Yamada Kyo started dating his girlfriend only a few months earlier, in early September. Syoya wasn’t around him much then, so he never knew his girlfriend and only heard about her through their group chat messages. 

And now Syoya was thinking about how they all started to talk about bringing their girlfriends, thinking it would be insanely fun because the more the merrier.

Well, _the more the merrier my ass_ , Syoya thinks to himself. He thought that this would be the one time where they could all get together and be just stupid boys, without the talk of love and anniversaries and _what should I get my girlfriend for her birthday, dude?_

__

But Syoya couldn’t say anything, too embarrassed when the boys asked him if it was alright. They assumed that Syoya probably had a bunch of boys back at the Terrace House so he could just choose whichever one he fancies. But it’s not that simple.

__

No, Syoya does not have a bunch of boys at the Terrace House. He doesn’t even have _one_ boy, let alone a bunch. He hasn’t even been on a date yet! But the student couldn’t let his friends know that, thinking it was embarrassing. The others only assumed that Syoya was floating around, couldn’t be bothered to choose and that’s why he hasn’t mentioned anyone these past few months. You could say it irked his friends, but it didn’t bother Syoya one bit until he got to that moment in time when the group chat was flooded with words of asking the oldest of them. 

__

“Well, I guess you can say I’m sad but . . . I thought it would be just the four of us,” Syoya trailed off sadly. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to share, almost regretting opening his mouth in the first place as he left a pregnant pause in the middle of his sentence. 

__

“The four of you?” Shosei spoke up, sitting higher in his seat, “what do you mean by that?”

__

Syoya sighed, a hand running down his face.

__

“They all want to bring their girlfriends,” he let out at once, clearly not happy, “but I just want to clarify that it’s not because I don’t like that — I mean I also haven’t met half of them yet but that’s besides the point — but I just wanted to get together, all of us. It’s been a while since all four of us have been together physically, and I just wanted to experience freshman year again.”

__

It was probably the best year, Syoya thinks. They were carefree youngsters, off on their own for the first time and having to do everything themselves. But they loved the freedom of bursting into pizza shops just before closing and buying useless things at Walmart at 2 in the morning; it was definitely the most memorable moments of Syoya’s life and he has his friends to thank. 

__

Keigo puts a hand on Syoya’s shoulder, hoping for it to be comforting but Syoya was weighed down by the pity. 

__

“I-it’s fine, I think I can manage. I know how to not be a seventh wheel,” Syoya chuckles, but it wasn’t happy anymore.

__

“No, no no. You cannot go alone, that’s one of the most awful feelings in the world. You think you’ll be happy with your friends while they’re off to leave you ice skating alone while they’re with their significant others since it’s a fucking ice skating rink and if that’s not the most romantic shit ever, then well-” Keigo let’s out a puff of air fast through his lips, making a stuttering noise just to get his point across.

__

It’s over exaggerated, but Keigo is taking this golden opportunity.

__

“Well, I’m getting off topic. Anyways, you can either not go but that looks so bad. So your only option is to take someone,” he lifts an eyebrow.

__

“N-no! I’m not taking someone, t-that’s mortifying! Who would I even take?” Syoya scoffs, head shaking so hard that it’s making him dizzy all over again but he doesn’t care. Just thinking about what Keigo could be (is) insinuating was making his cheeks red again and he tries his hardest to will it away. 

__

“Well, sorry kid but it’s not gonna be me or Junki here,” Keigo gives him a bright smile, much too bright and Syoya has to look away. 

__

“Yeah, I figured.”

__

“But I’m sure one of the other guys here would go, right?” Keigo leans on his elbow, far towards the center of the table as he was sitting at one of the edges. The others don’t make a sound, but their faces show that they would be willing to accompany Syoya (he thinks it’s out of pity at this point).

__

“They all seem okay with it, and you’re the one who knows your friends best. Who do you think should go?” Keigo mentally tells him that Syoya should know his opinion, and Syoya is too embarrassed to look away from Keigo at the others even though he hates the way the blonde is smirking at him right now.

__

Syoya groans, a hand finding its way into his hair.

__

“Well . . . they’ll surely eat Shosei up alive. They can get pretty tough sometimes. And they would probably murder Shion in a heartbeat or they’ll claim him as his own; it’s too tough to tell but I’d go with the former. And for Sukai, well, I think they’d get uncomfortable with him around and leave me alone for good.” Syoya inspects every one of them, giving reasons as to why they shouldn’t go. He’s much too embarrassed to bring a friend, and he would honestly probably have to play it off like they were dating just to get them off his back.

__

“Well, it sounds like Sukai is the one!” Keigo slaps Syoya on the back.

__

“W-what?” He sputters, head whipping around, “d-did you not just hear me? I-I can’t bring _any_ of them!” 

__

_Has Keigo absolutely lost his mind?_ He’s about to tear Keigo apart when another voice speaks up, gaining just a little bit of confidence.

__

“I don’t mind going with you, Syoya. Plus, I can make sure you don’t faint, or worse and fall, cracking your head open,” Sukai says almost emotionless. It sends a shiver up the older’s spine and he has to swallow hard. 

__

“You do know that they’ll probably tear you apart? They like to ask questions, and they’re expecting someone who’s been . . . somewhat intimate with me. Not that I said anything! I swear, they're just assuming monsters that can’t listen!” Syoya immediately tries to explain himself, a hand in the air to stop the other from talking. 

__

“I have tough skin, bunny, don’t worry about me,” Sukai snickers. It’s a show that he can act along with Syoya, and he waits for the older to pick up on that and do the same.

__

A ghost of a smile is gracing Syoya’s lips after a second of processing the nickname. It becomes a full blown one soon after, and he shakes his head to try and hide the smile that’s most certainly not going away any time soon.

__

“Well, be prepared for hot chocolate and lots of bad jokes, because you’re in for a ride.”

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you know i probably won't be updating the carrd anymore oops


	43. Episode 43. "Ice Skating Date"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never Shout Never - Can't Stand It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not edited :/

Syoya finds it impossible to have his teeth be chattering when he’s outside dressed in a sweatshirt, winter coat, gloves, hat, _and_ and a scarf, courtesy of an annoying Kinjo Sukai. He looked like a burnt marshmallow with all the black that was covering him, arms puffing out from too many layers and he couldn’t breathe properly. 

But somehow, even under all of those layers, his teeth still chatter as the two boys walked side by side across the parking lot and over to the entrance of the ice skating rink. 

What was worse was that the ice skating rink happened to be outside in the open air, inspired by Raira’s hopeless romantic air about him and the way he always loved the twinkling Christmas lights at night. 

The boy had somehow managed to find an outdoor ice skating rink, decorated to the ‘T’ with large evergreen trees wrapped in Christmas lights and ornaments, as well as lights and wreaths around lamp posts and other shops surrounding the rink. It was quite the sight to see, as the boys walked up just as the sun was setting, the sky turning from bright orange hues into blues and purples. 

“Alright, bunny. How are we doing this?” Sukai had asked the older just the day before, hoping that Syoya would warm up to the idea of bringing Sukai along to meet his friends. He was still pretty upset about it, moping around all day and reading the group chat messages but never replying. 

Syoya just looked at the older with a groan, face burying into the arm of the couch as his hand hung off the side, phone dangling. 

“Syoya,” Sukai dragged out his name, sitting besides him on the couch. He had to push the older over, giving himself room (which was a feat and a half as Syoya wouldn’t budge), “you said they already think you’re dating someone, right?”

It was tentative, hands by Sukai’s knees as they raked up and over them constantly. He wasn’t sure what to do.

Syoya turned his head to the side, breathing in fresh air that wasn’t couch fibers and random pieces of pillow stuffing that have managed to come out. 

“Yeah, they think I am. I never said I was, though,” Syoya grumbled, upset that his friends won’t listen. He’s tried to tell them that nothing was going on. As much as the man wanted to ask his friends to not bring their partners, he couldn’t say no because that would break their heart, in turn breaking his. So he lied (sort of a white lie though) and told them he would bring someone, but Syoya never specified who or what relationship he had with them.

“If they already think that, then why don’t we just give them what they are expecting?” It makes Syoya perk up, eyebrows furrowed at the words. He’s confused by Sukai, not understanding why he basically offered to be his boyfriend even when they’re nowhere near to dating — sometimes Syoya wonders if they’re even friends.

“Did you just say . . .” he didn’t want to voice what he was thinking, still not one hundred percent sure if that's what Sukai was insinuating. But his eyes bug out when he hears that Sukai was thinking exactly that.

“They think you have a boyfriend. Why not bring them a little holiday cheer; say that I’m your boyfriend and everyone is happy. It’s only for one night, right?” 

That wasn’t how it works. These were Syoya’s friends that they’re talking about; loud and obnoxious and always poking into other people’s business. It would be a disaster if they found out that Syoya would be lying to them. And not only that, but he doesn’t know if he has the heart to lie about love. 

It’s not like either one of them don’t know what’s going on, having inner turmoil about their own feelings they can’t quit process themselves. It’s new and confusing and doesn’t make sense; all they know is that around the other, something is different, something makes their heart beat just a little bit faster. Almost unnoticeable, but Syoya knows that his lips get a little bit too dry around intimidating people, and Sukai knows that his breath catches in his throat when he glances at attractive people.

It’s confusing for them, but so right in front of their faces and they’re oblivious.

“You’re willing to be my boyfriend, just like that? I don’t- that doesn’t-” deep inside Syoya he thought the action was sweet, but he simply cannot get any words out at the moment to express any type of emotion. Syoya was turned into a stuttering mess, and he pushed his face back down into the arm of the couch to hide his reddening face.

Sukai only laughs, getting enough courage to put a hand on Syoya’s back in comfort. And it’s an immediate wave of reassurance when the older feels it, as if Sukai’s saying _I got you_ and _we’re in this together._

It makes Syoya giddy like a teenage girl at the thought of finally, _finally_ having some sort of date (even under these circumstances), his feet wanting to kick up and down but he restrains himself with Sukai still in the room.

And with Sukai’s fingers intertwining in his as he walks over to the entrance of the ice skating rink, he can finally let out the giddy schoolgirl feeling when he spots his friends who are waving ecstatically. 

“Syoya! Syoya!” Yugo’s repeating his name as an arm is high in the air, waving rapidly. Syoya smiles wide at seeing the younger, missing his curly hair and wanting to immediately run his fingers through them like he used to. 

“Oh, and Mr. Mystery Man over here!” Yugo lifts a suggested eyebrow, excited to finally meet the boy Syoya said he would bring.

The group chat was bursting with chat bubbles and rapid messages once Syoya mentioned that he would bring a friend as well, the others not believing him until Syoya got pressured into saying it was his boyfriend (see: Sukai was reading over his shoulder, insisting the older just go through with it if they were anyways at the skating rink).

“Ah yes, the infamous _I don’t have a boyfriend, he’s just a friend . . . well actually . . ._ ” Raira joins in on the teasing, making fun of Syoya’s seemingly indecision on what to call Sukai. 

Syoya hides behind Sukai now, all embarrassed. It was weird, hearing the word boyfriend come from the other’s mouth when referring back to Syoya. He hadn’t dated in years; always looking at guys from afar but too afraid and awkward to even speak to them. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure how he ended up with this group of guys with how socially awkward he is.

“You’re really not going to introduce us, huh? Cat got your tongue?” And Kyo was onto him, a mischievous glint in his eye as Syoya drew closer to Sukai. But the older can’t help it; Sukai was gripping onto Syoya’s hands just as tightly and drew a small smile on his face, guarded. 

They didn’t want to be caught out though, and it would be too awkward if Syoya just stood there as if they weren’t friends and didn’t introduce his ‘boyfriend’.

“Yeah, I guess you caught me,” Syoya laughs lightly, hoping to mask the shakiness in his voice, “this is Kinjo Sukai, and obviously lives with me as you all know at the Terrace House.”

Syoya hopes that his friends think the uneasiness in his stature and voice is from introducing Sukai as his boyfriend and not thinking that their relationship itself was faked. The other boys hum in acknowledgment, sending small smiles, others with wicked grins. 

The boys then introduce their girlfriends, ones tight by their side with hands or arms intertwined that have been listening this whole time as the four friends caught up for a few minutes. They must have stood there for ages, introducing one another and catching up over the past few months, as Syoya didn’t know two of the three girls present, only Nako, who was dating Raira.

They were a cute couple, from the same major of communications and have been good friends since freshman year as well. Syoya was still hesitant with Hitomi though, not knowing her very much as he only saw her a few times with Yugo. But since they were so secretive, he wondered what was up with the two of them. Lastly was Yuri. She was new, an exchange student from South Korea and that was most definitely why Syoya didn’t know her. 

Syoya was surprised by how easy conversation was with her and felt instantly comfortable, attention turning to her only and away from the prying eyes at Syoya’s and Sukai’s still interlocked fingers. But as the conversation went along, Syoya visibly untensed and his shoulders drooped, stepping away from Sukai while still keeping in physical contact with him.

They must’ve been walking for at least a half an hour before the wind blew, reminding them of the cold winter air as it bit their exposed skin. Syoya gets pushed into Sukai by the wind, legs tripping over one another from the powerful force and it elicits an angellike laugh from the younger that Syoya didn’t know he had. It makes him smile just a tiny bit, not noticing how everyone else saw it.

So they all go inside the gates and exchange their shoes for skates, each helping another as sometimes the locks get stuck and it was difficult to tie them. 

“-aybe if you didn’t put me in so many layers I could actually bend down and tie them myself,” Syoya huffs at the brown-haired boy bent down before him, hands already on one of the skates. He saw Syoya struggling, laughing to himself before ending the other’s misery and just tying them for him, only to bring about embarrassment for the older. 

“We can’t have you getting sick again, bunny,” Sukai has come accustomed to calling Syoya the nickname, and has used it one too many times now when he’s around Syoya’s friends.

“I wasn’t sick! I got overheated, and you know what these layers are doing to me right now? Overheating,” Syoya sticks out his tongue in defense, slapping the other on the shoulder lightly but sits right back and watches Sukai tie his laces anyways. They sit in quiet silence as the other six process the scene before them, all ready to go.

“What do you want me to do, undress you?” It’s said softer this time, eyes locking with Syoya and there isn’t a goddamn thing in the world at this moment that is redder than Syoya’s face at that very moment. 

Upon seeing the older man’s face, Sukai just laughs and continues to lock up and lace the other ice skate for Syoya while he’s distracted by his words. 

It’s done and Syoya doesn’t even notice until Sukai is pulling him up, the older tripping over his skates (it wasn’t the first time he has ice skated, but it’s been a long time and it sure feels like the first time) and falling straight into the youngers arms. 

Syoya really hates skates. He hates how they’re impossibly thin and easily trippable over to which you fall into your fake boyfriend’s arms in front of your friends which makes them think you’re even cuter together and so totally in love and would want to go on more hangouts like this with. And Syoya hates the embarrassment of it all.

“S-sorry,” he mumbles out, hands gripping at Sukai’s shoulder’s harshly but it doesn’t hurt the younger as he has just as much layering on as Syoya does.

“Careful there, Syoya-kun. We don’t want another ankle-breaking incident now, do we?” It’s playful, eyes only on Syoya and the older wonders if it’s just for show or if he really means it; all the emotions in his words, the way his eyes are concerned about Syoya, and everything in between.

He hates it. He almost misses the ‘bunny’.

“I’m f-fine, I can skate,” Syoya huffs, righting himself up — still latching onto Sukai though, it couldn’t be helped — as they walk over to the entrance into the ice rink. 

It seemed like the rink was even colder than when they were out front. Syoya wishes to get distracted by the fading sun, eyes focusing on the twinkling lights and holiday decorations around them but he can’t help but bring his eyes to those skating recklessly around him. It doesn’t help that it’s crowded on the ice, close to the holiday season and everyone wants to get a skate in before they settle down for the few days between Christmas and New Years. 

Sukai is surprisingly good at skating when they all enter the ice, Syoya being the last one to get on. Sukai’s holding onto Syoya’s hand with ease as they skate around, sometimes going a little bit too far forward and the tug on his hands makes him remember that Syoya wasn’t that good.

“Hey, I brought you along so you could skate _with_ me, not _away_ from me,” the older huffs, hands tightening on Sukai’s when his legs give way and his balance is shaken. It’s the third time Syoya has almost fallen over, and he really thought that the next time he would actually be touching the cool ice beneath him.

Although Syoya was very active in his youth, he rarely skated, never leaving the farm much. He was much more attentive to trying not to trip over the slippery ice, rather than the conversation the others were having as the big group skated along. 

Eventually, the group dispersed into their own little pairs; what Syoya was fearing the most but at the same time there was a quiet sigh of relief as he skated shakily over to the side of the rink. His hands gripped the rail, knuckles white to match the color of his face. 

“Hey, hey. What’s wrong?” Sukai skates over with him, a hand just under the older’s elbow but lets him try to do it on his own. Syoya’s clearly in distress, feeling just a little bit more alone since he was the worst skater of them all; like a baby deer first learning how to walk. God, he’s like Bambi.

“I-I-I can’t-” he couldn’t get the words out again, throat closing and he doesn’t know why he feels like he’s about to cry but he does and it frustrates him to no end.

“Syoya, is this about skating?” Sukai asks softly, bending down to his eye level, “because I can teach you, if you want. I promise to go slow this time.”

It makes the older’s heart flutter, locking his gaze with Sukai and he just knows that he’s in protective hands. Sukai gently takes one of Syoya’s, and Syoya shakes his head. He turns away, taking off his gloves to properly hold Sukai’s hand even in the dead of winter. The brown-haired boy smiles, then takes the other, skating backwards so the older can learn properly. 

“Just follow my lead.”

The noises around them drown out as if it’s just the two of them, metal sliding through ice as a slow pace. It makes Soya’s heartbeat ease up just the slightest, but he’s still terrified of messing up and going down, possibly taking the younger with him. Even when Syoya’s leg slides a bit too much forward, or his leg points inward too much, or his knees aren’t bent enough, Sukai is still with him and still holding onto his hand, letting Syoya go at his own pace. There are small smiles exchanged between them when Syoya goes around the semicircle without sliding even one, feeling completely balanced. 

It grows wider when the older can now go down the whole side of the rink, legs perfectly still on the ice and Sukai smiles wide, congratulating him. 

But Syoya gets a little too cocky, letting go and for a split second saying he’s fine by himself. But when a little boy whips by him and brushes up against the older in just the slightest way, he feels one leg start to give way and tremble, metal slipping on ice his hands reach out in a futile attempt to grab onto Sukai. It’s the one time the older doesn’t catch him in time.

Syoya goes down, cursing on the way as white gets much too close for comfort. An elbow hits the ground first, then his knee, then everything else all at once. Pain shoots through his arm as he’s splayed out on the cold ice, somehow seeping through his layers of clothing pretty quickly.

“Syoya!” Sukai panics, the situation is way too familiar and he hates what it does to him, “oh fuck-”

But it doesn’t come from the younger. Instead, the curse was from the one laying on the ground, one hand pulled close to him. The next thing he knows, Sukai is on the ground next to him, crouched and trying to make Syoya uncurl as to see what happened.

His other friends have gathered by now, noticing the boy go down even in the midst of the crowded rink.

“Syoya, let me see. Bunny,” it comes out naturally, gentle as to ease the older. It does, and when Syoya reveals his hand it’s full of blood to match the slight drops on the blade of his skates. Sukai curses along with him, one hand in Syoya’s hair as another is on the back of his hurt hand, pulling it closer for inspection.

An employee skates by not even a minute later, alarmed by the growing crowd around the boy on the ground. It wasn’t until he saw the mess of blood dripping on the ice that he shoos everyone away, helping the injured boy up. 

It wasn’t a lot of blood, but it still made the boys sick to their stomach knowing that Syoya had gotten hurt. 

“God, you idiot Syoya! You should have kept your gloves on and-” Sukai stops when he sees Syoya’s eyes dropping to the ground as he sits on the bench, towel in his hand to stop the blood while the employee gets bandages. Now wasn’t the time to be having a petty argument with the older, so Sukai huffs and drops down besides Syoya on the bench, one hand in his hair. 

“I’m sorry,” it was quiet, barely audible but Sukai still heard it. He just pulled Syoya closer, threading his fingers in silence but Syoya knew what it meant when Sukai’s other hand went to lightly touch his hurt one. 

Sukai is kicking himself, saying how he wouldn’t let Syoya get hurt and yet here he was, hand sliced open by his ice skate and Sukai’s reaction time was not good enough time around. 

They don’t speak until the employee comes back with the bandage, Syoya’s friends surrounding them but also shifting from one foot to another, not knowing what to make of it. He just tries to smile through the pain, reassuring the others that he’s okay.

“I think I should take him home, make sure that hand is okay,” Sukai stands up once the employee is gone, out of earshot on his way back to the rink. The others nod in solemn agreement, hating to see Syoya go so fast but with the cut being messy enough to cause panic to settle in their stomachs they believe that was for the best.

“Well, now you have all of break to recover. We’ll hang out again soon, yeah? You still owe me a hot chocolate,” Raira winks at Syoya, a small smile on his lips. If you looked closely, he was trying to hide his concern behind a mask but he knew that Syoya was in good hands, playing it off like it was nothing just to ease the mind of the younger.

“Yeah, and you still owe me that skateboard but we’ll see who pays up first,” Syoya smirks, nose scrunching up. He’s cradling his hand gently, pain shooting through it every now and again but for now it’s just a throbbing heat, annoying the younger.

After they say their goodbyes, Sukai wraps a tight arm around the younger’s waist, guiding him to the car even though it was Syoya’s hand that was hurt, not his legs. But he doesn’t complain, liking the protective embrace felt and he even walked just a little bit closer.

Sukai may have seemed calm, cool, and collected all this time, but there was no doubt that the butterflies have not left his stomach since Syoya had gone down that Saturday afternoon on top of the Twister mat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lowkey fake dating trope but not as much as i had planned oops, but i wrote this chapter like 2 or 3 times soo


	44. Episode 44. "A Little Bit of Music"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> slchld - say what's on your mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edited? nope nope nope it's too late for that

While Syoya was stressing over his _’date’_ with Sukai, Shosei was busy gathering some notes to bring over to Tokonami Shion’s apartment. He’s already written down a few notes and chords here and there, not wanting to forget them if he ended up at the other’s and didn’t have the masterpiece he’s created.

It was purely based on ancient pianists, he has to admit, but that’s what he loves most about the piece. After all, they did say they wanted to create a ballad type of song, and as that’s all Shosei ever listened to it wasn’t hard to string a few notes together (more difficult without his keyboard with him but he’ll let it slide).

So as the fake couple takes the Jeep to the ice skating rink, Shosei takes the Chevrolet, keys swinging around a single finger. And he feels a tug at his shoulder, a voice whispering harshly in his ear.

“Please take me with you. I don’t want to be stuck home alone with . . . _them_ ,” Shion’s voice fills his ear, venom in his voice at the last word. He really doesn’t want to hear, nor accidentally catch the olders in the act again so he thought it would be better if he could tag along with Shosei.

Shosei gave him a look, but all Shion had to do was raise an eyebrow for the blonde to give in and take him with him.

“Fine. I wouldn’t want to be with them alone either, because you already know they’re going to be doing _something_. But you’re not allowed to speak, alright,” it was Shosei’s turn to raise an eyebrow, already feeling dread for the upcoming jam session with his friends and the ever so clumsy Tsurubo Shion.

“I’m not allowed to speak? Wait, why-” but Shosei was already out the door and into the mudroom, leaving a confused Shion behind to run and catch up to him before Shosei left in the oversized car.

Shosei only smirked, giving the younger a look that Shion should really understand what it meant but he couldn’t decipher it.

It only took fifteen minutes to get to the other Shion’s apartment, a cute little white building in the outskirts of town that is about the same distance away from their college. He lives on the second floor, and there’s another car parked in the driveway that Shosei can only assume was Gen’s. 

“You better not break anything Shion,” Shosei mumbles underneath his breath, and the younger gives him a questioning glance but Shosei just shakes his head, tight lipped.

He wasn’t mad that Shion decided to tag along, but what with the way the younger was always bumping into things and being loud all the time, he couldn’t help but have those qualities on his mind and how he would most definitely disturb their practice time, probably making them not come up with anything. 

Shosei really didn’t want to babysit Shion.

Shion clicks his tongue, but trots after Shosei anyway as they enter the staircase to the building.

It wasn’t Shosei’s first time being in the building, as Shion has been living here all four years. He was never the one to want to live on campus, and since Shion lived far away it was his only option. But the apartment was quaint and cheap, perfect for his short list of needs and easily pleased self. 

When Shosei knocked on the door, it opened only a few moments later, and must have heard Shosei pull up into the parking lot. 

“Shosei! And, who’s this?” Shion was about to say more until he saw the youngest right next to Shosei, awkward and fiddling with his hands. He had basically invited himself, and now he’s thinking how rude of him it was to put Shosei in such a position.

“Oh, this is one of my roommates, Tsurubo Shion. There’s something going on at the house that I am sure is happening at this very moment that neither of us would want to witness so I brought him along,” Shosei smiled widely, seeing Shion’s distraught reaction. He felt bad for the way he treated Shion earlier, almost brushing him off but it was only due to knowing how expensive instruments were, having this session could make or break their grade.

“Another Shion! That is so exciting, I always love to meet people with the same name as me! This might get confusing, though, so you can call me Tokonami-kun for now,” the blonde Shion in the doorway exclaims excitedly, a bright smile on his face. Sure, the name was somewhat common, but not nearly enough for Shion who love quirky coincidences such as that.

It makes the younger Shion smile a little bit more, nauseous in his stomach going away as it felt like Tokonami was excited for him to be here.

He welcomes both inside, telling Shosei that their other band member was in the living room (as if Shosei couldn’t see the man who was sitting a few feet away, the living room being the first one they would see) and it makes Shosei giggle, a hand raising.

They go through introductions again with Shion and Gen, the four of them getting a feel for each other (more like Shion with the other two but that’s alright).

“I’ll just sit and watch or something. I promise I won’t cause trouble, I know how much Shosei works on this and how much it means to your grade,” Shion sits back, trying to be as silent as he could in the midst of the group talking about getting out their instruments.

Tokonami laughs, a hand going on Shion’s shoulder, “it's okay, it’s most just a lighthearted jam session anyway. If we got something, then we do, but it’s always nice to have new ears hear our stuff.”

Shion doesn’t know how the older man had grinned wider than at the doorway earlier, but somehow he did, showing pearly whites that lit up the room. He gave a light smile back, still wary but would try to do his best to keep to himself and just let himself get lost in the music.

Tokonami retreats to his bedroom to get his guitar and keyboard to let Shosei borrow it for the afternoon. And when he comes back, Shion has already knocked his foot into the coffee table and he could hear the curses of pain coming from the younger.

He snorts, seeing Shion holding his socked foot that took the brunt of the wooden table, offering an ice pack to a seething Shion. The younger declined, apologizing profusely once he saw the owner of the apartment. 

And when everything settles down eventually, Shosei is sitting besides Shion on the couch with the keyboard on his lap, eyes practically closed as he plays the notes by heart and muscle memory. It was soothing to Shions ears, and he just wanted to close his eyes and fall asleep. The guitar accompanying Shosei from Gen didn’t help Shion’s drooping eyes at all either, the chords deep and low making him all the more sleepy. 

And when Tokonami started humming along as well, random sounds here and there until he could come up with random lyrics Shion just wanted to lie down right then and there.

But it sounded so nice that he didn’t want to fall asleep; no, he wanted to stay up and continue to bless us ears with the melodic sounds coming from the keyboard, guitar, and vocal chords. Shion was definitely riding on the music high, but then Tokonami stopped singing and let out a rough sigh, hand in his hair.

He tsks, tongue running over his teeth.

“There’s something wrong, something missing. I don’t know what it is, maybe chords? No . . .” he started talking to himself now, flipping through his notebook where he writes random lyrics that come to him throughout the day, and random chords or ideas as well.

“What do you mean?” Shion didn’t realize it was he who said that until everyone turned to stare at the younger, “w-what I mean is, is that I thought it sounded good. Perfect even, why does it need to be changed?”

It was thoughtful of Shion to give his input even though Tokonami can sometimes be harsh on himself and he takes opinions about his music from outsiders lightly. Outsiders as in those who are not in the music major or industry, or haven’t been making music for years as a side hobby of sorts. And he could tell that Shion doesn’t do any of those, so his opinion was almost invalidated just by that standard.

Shosei could see the calculating thoughts in Tokonami’s head, gears shifting and Gen put his guitar down in case anything were to happen.

“But it’s more technical than just thinking a song sounds good. Sure, sometimes they do and that’s fine, but I don’t want to make just _fine_ music. This is much more important than that,” Shion sighs, fingers fiddling with his notebook. He was glancing down at it but the words on the page weren’t registering.

“Shion-kun,” Gen started, a hand going towards the singer’s shoulder but Tokonami sighed and shook his head. He wanted to get out of that mindset, so he plastered on a smile and thanked the youngest for his feedback, saying that he's too worked up over the project. 

He just wanted the jam session to be fun and lighthearted — they all did. It wasn’t even meant to be talking about the project in the first place, mostly just random chords and experimenting. So the singer shook his head, gave a little laugh and picked up his own guitar to start strumming again.

It was soft at first, getting used to just playing and not worrying about the correct sounds and switching of chords in just the right way, but eventually the three boys come to some sort of mental consensus together and play as one almost instantly. And it was mesmerizing to Shion, as he just sat there and watched the other three play simultaneously, a hum here or there with huge grins on their faces. Even when one messes up a chord that doesn’t sound quite right with what the other two are playing, it doesn’t matter because it was raw and true and all sorts of charming. 

And when it’s over, Gen is bent over laughing due to Shion’s random words he says throughout the song, trying to fit them in but it was futile. The others giggle as well from the contagious laughter of Gen, it bubbling over in spurts and it doesn't stop for quite a while as each repeats what Tokonami had said before, adding onto it as well.

“A-are you sure you should be letting Tokonami-kun sing? Those lyrics,” Shion trailed off, tears in his eyes from laughing so much. He tries to back away when Tokonami springs out of his chair and towards the youngest, but he is stuck between a playful angry man and a soft couch. It only makes him laugh harder at the expression on the older’s face, a foot kicking up. 

And Shion can play it off as self defense when it comes in contact with the older, not meaning to but it definitely happened — harshly as well.

Tokonami doubles over from pain as it comes in contact with his stomach — an inch lower and he would have been straight on the ground in no time. 

God, does Shion want to die right then and there. It was mortifying, having pained the one who brought him into his home when he just showed up unannounced at the doorstep, almost crushing his baby maker and Shion couldn’t get up fast enough to help him. Even while laughing, Shosei is crying at how he knew that Shion would be clumsy enough to mess up again.

“S-Shion-kun!” Syoya doesn’t know which one he is saying it to. But he rushes forward at the two now on the ground, one clutching his stomach while the other is trying to show comfort but there was really no way that he could try and ease the pain. 

The singer breathes out harshly through his nose, obviously in pain but is somehow still laughing lightly. He knows it was his fault, and without knowing what Shion was like he should have been more careful around him with his approaches. It only takes a few minutes for Tokonami to sit up, and when he does it still hurts so bad he curses but he wasn’t going to let it stop him and ruin the rest of their night.

And maybe Tokonami wanted to get the attention off of him, so he asked Shosei the question.

“How long have you been living at the Terrace House, what? Maybe a month? And all this time you still haven’t told me anything about it,” the slightly younger pouts, wanting to know more about the older but he was always so secretive, “maybe Shion-kun can spill the details on him.”

At the suggestive eyebrows, Shion laughs. But there wasn’t much to spill about the angel boy because that was just what he is; an angel. It was difficult to dig up dirt on him, as he hasn’t done anything wrong yet.

“Well, he’s a video game master, I can tell you that. Swears more than you would think, but only when playing. But he’s just a cutie that does no wrong,” Shion pouts upset that he can’t think of anything and bond with Shosei’s college friends over Shosei’s misfortune.

But the others are surprised to hear about his video game habits, not knowing that little bit of information and demanding the older’s user so they can play together sometime. Shion smiles a the interaction, glad that he could at least have made the friends’ friendship stronger, even if Shion wasn’t in it with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wicked short i'm sorry i'll try to make it longer tomorrow maybe :( also i have it planned out to end on chapter 47 if i keep to my schedule, which god knows if i will but i'm trying! so plan for the ending coming soon :((


	45. Episode 45. "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You

_”Shion-kun, can you hand me the box right next to you?”_

_The youngest went to bend down and gather the heavy box in his arms, contents inside clattering all around. Even though Keigo was barely across the small room, Shion’s arms hurt like crazy from the weight._

_”Perfect, thank you,” the blonde smiled brightly at the younger, opening the box that was now on the floor. Inside held perfect round ornaments decorated with swirling glitter and shiny colors, sparkling in the light. It made Keigo stop and stare for a few seconds too long before a hand graced his shoulder, a chin on the other._

_”What are you looking at? Ornaments?” Junki’s excited seeing the Christmas decorations that be opare spread around the living room. Having just woken up, a little bit later than normal unfortunately, it was a sight to see when he walked downstairs._

_Keigo hums, nodding towards the Christmas lights in another box and other decorations around the house. It makes Junk squeal, almost bursting Keigo’s eardrum and the younger just tries to laugh it off with a soft flinch._

“Okay, my turn!! Yes, Syoya, open mine now!” 

It was Christmas day and all the boys were sitting in their fluffy pajamas in the living room, spread out across the couches as well as the rugged floor. Each had a bundle of small presents in their arms for the other roommates, secretive smiles on their faces and raised eyebrows. 

Syoya was elected the first one to be opening presents, as Shosei was the first to thrust a present in his direction (the first one he grabbed happened to be Syoya’s, afterall. Turns out, it was a miniature video game console, portable and old fashioned that the blonde knew Syoya would love).

The student giggled as he reached across Keigo for his gift, a small yet long box wrapped in blue paper with a cute little reindeer pattern. It was light, and Syoya furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as to what it might be inside. He’s careless, ripping open the wrapping paper in seconds to reveal a tiny logo print on top of a shiny white box. 

“I can’t believe you got me a pen,” Syoya deadpans, seeing the sleek black pen set neatly on top of a small pillow, strapped in with a white ribbon. It looked fancy, but Syoya doesn’t know why the older man got him a pen of all things as a gift. It seemed ridiculous. He goes to take it out of the box with care, holding it in his healthy hand. 

“You’re an economics major, duh,” Junki said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “pens are going to be your best friend once you’re out in the real world in a few months.”

Junki would have given him a slap on the back for emphasis, but sitting next to Keigo was much more pleasant (even though the oldest sometimes wanted to hit Syoya so badly).

“You’re so annoying,” but even as the student said the words, there was his signature grin on his face, bright and wide. He snorted, eyes glancing back at the pen. He has to admit, it was a thoughtful gift. It looked expensive sitting on the pillow, the brand colored with gold and he doesn’t recognize it but either way he could tell it wasn’t an ordinary pen. And next time he looked up, he gave Junki the most genuine smile ever.

“Okay, enough about Junki, here’s mine,” Keigo shoves his over next. It’s a larger box, a bit heavier and Syoya does the same as he’s always done when opening gifts; rips them wide open without a care in the world or if he creates a mess. Underneath is another name brand box, though this time when Syoya opens it up inside are clothes; specifically an outfit consisting of a shirt and a pair of pants. They’re a beige color, trimmed with black and accentuated with white. 

“Keigo, please please _please_ tell me this wasn’t as expensive as I think it is,” but with one glance at the brand, Syoya thinks his head is never going to stop spinning. Keigo only chuckles, telling him he deserves it for all of his hard work. 

And Shion gives him another boardgame next, obviously not very thoughtful as Syoya knew when and where the younger got it but he smiles nonetheless, insisting that they play it together at some point. And Sukai’s gift is even less thrilling, a simple mug but it was adorned with Syoya’s name on it.

To say that Sukai looked embarrassed when giving him the present, watching him open it was an understatement. But the younger was never good at gift giving, and always thought that when he was stressed he liked to get out his favorite mug and fill it with a cup of coffee or tea, or even ice cream. He hoped that Syoya would like the mug, and do the same with it. That it brings comfort to him and also so no one would steal it from him; they everyone knows it was his.

Syoya chuckles at the gift, sending Sukai a blinding smile that could never hurt the younger’s eyes.

_”Shion-kun, grab me a chair will you?”_

_Shion sighs once again, muttering about how Keigo was the tallest and even he couldn’t reach the top of the tree to place the star. But Shion went anyway to fetch the chair, knowing that if Keigo stood on his tip toes he could reach but the blonde was probably lazy._

_“Thank you,” Keigo sang out, leaning toward Shion in a playful manner when the younger boy slammed the object down in front of him. It seemed like all Shion was today was the fetcher of objects; his only role to help out but not actually help out. He’ll grab a box here or a bag there, but wasn’t allowed to touch anything else due to his clumsiness._

_”Yeah, yeah, whatever makes you happy,” Shion stuck out his tongue, hands crossing over his chest as he watched Keigo. But his eyes quickly turned away and gazed up at the tall tree in front of him, decorated until they could barely see green anymore._

_Twinkling Christmas lights entered the black spaces between the ornaments, which sometimes was hard to see as there were just so many hanging. The boys had brought their own, had some shipped to the house, and they all went shopping together as a group for decorations. It was pretty much last minute, scrambling around to find everyone and their wallets, but it made for a fun trip to random holidays dollar stores._

“Okay, now it’s Shosei-kun! Last but not least,” Syoya sings out, face lighting up. 

They went around in a circle rather quickly, with everyone on a low budget (excet Keigo apparently) and getting only minimalist gifts. They guys weren’t expecting that much from each other, and honestly most of them were inexpensive toys from cheap stores that made cute sounds, or some food products that another one really liked to help them get through a tough day.

Shosei is bombarded with gifts now, some wrapped cute and neatly with a bow on top, others with choppy taping skills and wrinkled wrapping paper (to an extent at which some don’t even know what the pattern is but that’s besides the point). 

And one by one, Shosei opens them up carefully, untapping first rather than just tearing open like others. 

“Shosei,” they whine out for dramatics, urging the blonde to hurry up and all Shosei does is laugh in their face. 

But Shosei smiles at every single gift, lips curling upwards even more at the next one. He got a plushie from Shion, headphones from Syoya, a mind game from Sukai, a notepad from Junki and a gift card to Shosei’s favorite music store from Keigo. It was like a dream come true for Shosei, as each gift seemed sentimental enough and was perfect coming from each individual boy respectively. 

And when the gift giving was done, they sat around and played with their new games and tried to beat each other at them, laughter filling the room. Snow had begun to fall again outside the room, but no one noticed as they were too invested in themselves and their friends, eyes on each other.

_Junki is singing Christmas carols as he’s outside with Sukai and Syoya, hanging Christmas lights from the overhang on the room. They’re the ones that look like icicles, random patterns of long and short as they hang down._

_Eventually Syoya gives in and starts to sing along with the older (though it really didn’t take that long, since the younger loved to sing as well). The lyrics were ingrained in his memory since he was just a toddler, his mother always singing around the house. When winter came and everyone was stuck inside most of the day, his mother would knit by the fire and sing, sometimes simultaneously watching tv. Or she would be in the kitchen cooking, the radio on loud enough for everyone else in the house to hear ‘Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer’._

_Sukai is the only one not singing and would rather listen to their angelic voices than ruin the little concert for him. It doesn’t take long for them to notice though, Junki pausing on the mini ladder and bringing his hands down with the lights in them._

_"Sukai-kun, why aren’t you singing? Don’t you know ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You?’” Junki pauses, head turning to look at the younger who was setting up lawn blow ups. It was silly to have them, considering how secluded the house was but they liked the look of a blow up penguin in a top hat in their front yard. Sue them._

_Junki made himself laugh at the play on words, Syoya following suit. But Sukai was still setting up the penguin._

_He has to admit, he wasn’t one for Christmas cheer. It wasn’t like he didn't like the holiday, but he didn’t understand it either. So he never really learned the songs associated with the holiday, and rarely went shopping for others around this time as his parents weren’t devout followers of holidays either._

_Sukai scratched the back of his neck, flinching at the memory. Now here he was, in a group full of boys who loved the holiday season and he was the only one who tried to fake it. But sometimes, he just couldn’t make it._

_”I don’t know the words to that song, no,” he’s embarrassed by his own words._

_”Not even the chorus?” Junki’s shocked to find someone who doesn’t know Mariah Carey, queen of Christmas. And the older steps down off the ladder, making it his mission to make Sukai memorize every word of the holiday song._

And they have music blasting songs from animated Christmas movies, Junki more screeching the words than actually singing them but it doesn’t matter because everyone is laughing and having a good time together.

Keigo puts an arm around Junki, across his chest and pulls him in. It stops the older from singing for a split second, but then he goes right back to singing again with an even wider grin on his face, mouth open wide and eyes closed shut. 

Later on Junki goes into the kitchen to fetch snacks for the young boys, calling Keigo in to help him bring out the food and drinks. And when Keigo obliges, hurrying over in a quick second Junki pulls him in close.

His eyes fly upwards for a split second; the blonde would have missed it if he wasn’t looking into Junki’s eyes like he always was. It makes him quick an eyebrow at the action, his eyes also trailing up but much more slow now.

He snorts at seeing the green leaves and red berries hanging from the ceiling. It wasn’t even in a doorway, but Junki couldn’t think of a better place as their favorite spot was the kitchen.

But Keigo dips down anyway at the cheesiness of it, wiping the smirk off of Junki’s face in a passionate kiss. Afterall, it was their first holiday together and Keigo wanted to make it special even with the little rascals in the room over.

So Keigo tips him back a little, bruising the other’s lips but it’s not like he complains, being familiar with the feeling after all. It's sweet though, a soft kiss that’s only lips and yet they can’t seem to get enough of each other, always going back in for more. They don’t stop until a few minutes later when they hear a noise coming from the living room, loud with swear words to follow.

“Jesus- Shion-kun! I thought we said that you can never ever _ever_ touch that!” 

And of course there would be an incident with the youngest, clumsy as always. Keigo smirks into Junki’s lips, pressing another chaste one with a look that says _we’ll continue this later_ and pulls away.

“Alright, what’s going o-” and Keigo stops when he looks at the boys all spread out across the room. And really, Keigo should have known better.

“Shion-kun,” it’s filled with such disappointment that the younger wanted to sink into the ground, reminded of his parents’ scoldings when he was a little kid. And that’s how he feels like; like a little kid who has been caught being naughty and he’s afraid all of his gifts that he’s gotten today would turn into coal.

“Shion-kun! Oh my god, what happened in here? Are any of you hurt?”

Junki comes around the corner, only to be met with the large tree tipping over. It’s held up halfway by the wall and mantle over the fireplace, somehow tipping away from the roommates instead of on top of that — to which everyone was grateful for. 

“How does this even happen?” Keigo sighs, palm rubbing across his forehead at the sight. Some ornaments have already fallen off, some strands of lights off of their branches as well. It looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, all the ornaments tilted in synchronization. It would have been hilarious if not for the look on the elders’ faces, and the time and effort Keigo put into putting up and decorating the tree.

Eventually, Keigo breathes in deep and walks over to the tree, some of the other boys getting up and following as they knew Keigo would try to righten it. 

It took a lot of effort and strength, making sure no more ornaments fell and cracked open, exposing sharp pieces of glass or metal. And when the tree stood tall once again, Keigo would finally let out a sigh of relief and a little chuckle. He wanted to cry, and yet laugh at the same time. He wanted to smack Shion upside the head, and yet hug him at the same time.

Tears form in Keigo’s eyes, and he just knows how much he’s going to miss this house, even if it gives him anxiety and massive heart attacks every other day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also another kinda short one 
> 
> there are 2 chapters left!! i'll try to write during the day now so i don't have to cram this at night and give you shit content


	46. Episode 46. "Yet Another Farewell."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me)

The eldest boys talked about it before.

It came up randomly in conversation, a brief wondering of what ifs that eventually turned into a concrete decision.

“My own kitchen would be nice, lots of counter space to fit all of my nonexistent appliances!” Junki jokes about his currently useless supply of kitchen utensils and machines that weren’t top notch but still got the job done. The boys were talking about what they saw in their future; what types of apartments or houses they would want and what they would like to have inside of them. Their dream home, if you will.

“Don’t worry Junkichi, I’ll give you all of the good ones, ones the best that money can buy,” Keigo sees himself showering Junki in the nicest clothes and with five-star rating appliances in the future. Especially in the near future, if he was being quite honest with himself. He couldn’t help himself, he just wanted to see the bright smile on Juki’s face never fading. Just looking at the boy now with an already large grin on his face, Keigo couldn’t even imagine what he would look like if Junki had gotten what he truly wanted. It was a sight that Keigo was determined to see.

Junki smiles widely, snuggling up to the blonde even more. A drama was playing in the background softly as they’re once again up inside the playroom, the show being long forgotten as the two began to talk about one scene with a nice balcony — Junki tends to get distracted very easily, admiring the layout of the balcony more than the actual scene going on, and thus they got onto the topic of what’s on the required list for his future home. 

“No! That would be so expensive, I would just return them so you can get your money back,” Junki cried out at the offer despite his broad smile suggesting otherwise. It was news to him that Keigo would go to far lengths to make Junki happy, and he felt warmth spread throughout his entire body. He shuffled underneath the blankets to make his hot body more comfortable, letting his arms escape and making him breathe just a little bit easier.

There’s no doubt in his mind that Keigo would do anything for the older, and it made his stomach twist just thinking about it.

Keigo just smirked at the older, saying that he wouldn’t if Junki really wanted him not to but they both know that that was a blatant lie.

“If no kitchen appliances, then at least a nice marble countertop? Sturdy too, since sometimes I’m forgetful about cutting boards — hey, don’t give me that look! Anyway, right next to it would have a long dining table, white to match. And I want a master bedroom with a walk-in closet, shelves so I can store my many shoes,” Junki giggles as he continues his dream home, eyes shining as he recalls every detail he can think of, “and another bedroom as well. Probably an office for the time being, or I could convert it into a game room, or even for storage. But what I’m most excited about decorating is the living room. That’s my homey, feel good space and there’s already so many opinions on how to decorate it unlike other rooms!”

Junki continues on with his thoughts of having a large tv mounted on the wall, cute little knick knacks on his coffee table and side table right next to the couch, one that sinks just the right way when you sit on it. And as he’s describing even more, Keigo just looks on and makes a mental checklist of everything Junki wanted, seeing the stars in his eyes brighten with each new piece of furniture he remembered he wanted. 

“I swear Keigo! All I need in my life is a nice set of chinaware, not even that expensive!” He’s back talking about the kitchen now, always somehow finding his way back to the kitchen. When Junki exclaims his desires, hands reaching out to touch Keigo that’s when the words blurted out without rational thought to it but Keigo just wanted to put it out there.

“Well, why don’t we make that happen?” It makes Junki pause, eyes squinting in confusion.

“I mean, why don’t we get you that set of china when we move in together?” And Junki puts two and two together, eyes going as wide as his mouth was earlier.

It’s not the greatest time for Junki to be so speechless, quite a rarity for the older as well. Given his talkative nature, Keigo would have thought that his suggestion was a good idea and Junki would be over the moon, talking his ear off, but looking at Junki now he wasn’t one hundred percent sure it was a positive reaction. It made Keigo tense up a little, too quickly until Junki softened and grabbed his hand.

“You really think so?” He’s only panicky because god, Junki would miss this house so much. There were so many memories built into these walls, since that first night in late September. The late night dinners, and the early ones too; the playing of video games in the playroom from dusk till dawn; the endless movie nights in the living room with everyone in the house watching together. And now it’s late December and somehow the couple has been here for 3 months already. Time seemed to fly by for them, but Junki wouldn’t have it any other way (even considering the rough patch in the middle but they don’t talk about that anymore).

“I want us to be together, Junki,” he was looking the other straight in the eyes. 

Keigo fiddled with Junki’s fingers, fingertips tracing over the smooth skin on the back of his hand. He nodded quickly, wanting more than ever to just be with Junki, alone, together. To feel domestic with the other, start a life together. And to him, it would be so much better if they could live on their own, feeling the sweet freedom of just having the place to themselves and doing whatever they wanted without fear — though with how many times they’ve done it and then gotten caught, there really wasn’t any shame anymore. 

After spending Monday together alone, the university students leaving for their own little get-togethers, it was like a breath of fresh air that the boys could do whatever they wanted. Even if all they did was cuddle together on the couch, feeding each other popcorn as they watched holiday movie after holiday movie for hours on end. 

But Keigo wanted that for the rest of his life with Junki, and it could only start if they actually do something about it, to take that next step forward just like the previous couples of the house did. 

“So what do you say, huh? We’ll tell the boys after Christmas, move out just before New Years? It’ll be sad, just like when the others left, but we can always throw a New Years Eve party with everyone,” Keigo tried to lighten up the mood, wanting to get back Junki’s smile as quickly as possible. At the sound of a party, it made Junki perk up just a little bit more.

“A party? With everyone?” His eyes were wide, the gears were running through his head and mind running wild, “does that mean _everyone_ , everyone?”

And Keigo’s tight smile from before turned into a genuine one at the thought of what Junki was insinuating. He pressed a kiss to the older’s forehead and Junki could feel the smile. It made him smile a little bit more as well, turning giddy when Keigo pulled back after a couple of seconds and met the older’s eyes.

They continue arranging for their departure within the next few days, most likely over the weekend, as well as how they’re going to celebrate New Years Eve with everyone.

* * *

That was where the boys found themselves, once again all of them standing by the door outside as Junki and Keigo stood leaning on their bags. It was painfully familiar to most of the boys, a painful reminder of the past but also some sort of comfort intertwined as the group was still keeping in contact with past roommates. It was a few days after Christmas, and they’re leaving late Saturday morning. Keigo managed to score a great apartment for the both of them that wasn’t too far away, courtesy of his family’s connections and he was excited to show Junki for the first time. 

Maybe it was cruel to not let Junki see the apartment that they would be living in, but keigo only rented it because he knew it had what Junki described for his dream home. Keigo knew that anything was perfect for Junki. And if he didn’t like it, it would be no problem for the rich Sato to find another apartment. 

“This is just a cruel and unusual punishment, right. I can’t believe you two,” Syoya sniffles, still upset by their sudden departure. The boys found out later Christmas day — by accident of course, but either way the students knew that they didn’t want to tell them on the holiday which meant that they would have been told even later, giving them even less time with the older two. It made their departure just that much more difficult.

Junki pulls the young boy into his arms, a hand wrapping around his head to lean it on his shoulder as Syoya cries out. He would now be the last original member left, leaving behind a weird feeling in his mouth. He didn’t like it one bit.

Junki hushes the student, whispering about all of the fun memories they had in the younger’s ear and promising to have many more where they came from.

“I-I promise to write to you, w-with the pen you gave m-me,” he’s a stuttering mess, all emotional due to the holiday season. It makes Junki chuckle as he pulls back, thumbing away Syoya’s tears. It wasn’t a good idea to have the two most emotional and vulnerable boys near each other, saying their goodbyes but no one wanted to break their moment. Instead, they all seemed to turn away from the immense intimacy radiating from them, the raw emotion bringing tears to others.

“And I promise to read them over and over again. I’ll frame them too,” Junki promises, a watery smile gracing his face. 

Syoya clears his closing throat rather roughly, hiccuping on tears as he moves away before he starts to sob once again. He and Keigo exchange a hug; would have been quicker due to Syoya not wanting to ruin the older’s coat with his tears, trying not to get all emotional again but this was Keigo, someone who has been with him from the start and he deserved the most. 

“You stay on top of things, alright,” Keigo whispered to Syoya, “make sure that those boys don’t cause any trouble. And of course, I always expect an update.”

Syoya pulls away from their hug with a tiny chuckle after seeing the miniscule wink Keigo gave him. But he knew that he couldn’t control Shion no matter what, or even when Shosei went on rampages during their nightly Monster Hunter games. And for Sukai, well, that boy had a mind of his own and he wouldn’t let anyone push him around. Just thinking about him sent a shiver down Syoya’s spine, and he shook his head viciously to get the thought of the younger boy out of his head.

And next it was Sukai, the second longest running member after Syoya. His hugs were short but tight, telling everything in only a few seconds. It might have looked simplistic and without emotion from the outside, but Junki wanted to cry just as much from Sukai’s short one as he did with Syoya’s long one. Both were meaningful and heartfelt, in each boy’s own way and that was what made Junki want to cry even harder.

Keigo pulled Sukai in a hug next. Words weren’t spoken, but a hug was enough for the both of them.

Even though Shosei and Shion were the newest members, there weren’t less tears going around as the boys hugged each other. 

“I better see notes in that notepad, mister,” Junki playfully reprimanded the younger, “I want to see genius spreading across each page with lyrics and music notes and I want pictures of them to be sent to me when you are finished.”

Shosei giggled lightly, feeling the stinging behind his eyes and trying his hardest to not let the tears spill over. It doesn’t work when he makes contact with the eldest in the house, a few landing on Junki’s shirt when Shosei closes his eyes tightly.

It wasn’t any different with Shosei and Keigo, nor with Shion and the olders as well.

Except for when Keigo pulled the youngest in a tight embrace and said into his ear.

“You give me anxiety, kid. But please, I am not religious but for the love of god and everything that is holy, _please_ be try to be safe and not give the new roommates any heart attacks,” Keigo squeezes his even tighter in emphasis, knowing first hand just how clumsy the younger was. It was pretty scary at times, and even though Keigo is sad to leave the house he can feel a weight lifted off of his shoulders now that he doesn’t have to practically babysit the younger who thought it was okay to eat with a knife when all the other utensils were in the dishwasher or laying in the sink, dirty.

Shion could only nod his head, feeling his throat close up impossibly so. 

‘I’m going to miss you guys so much. Even the bad parts; it just won’t be the same anymore,” Syoya speaks up once again when Shion and Keigo parted. He’s sniffling, seeming to have calmed down a little bit from earlier but even just talking about how they’re going to be leaving makes him tear up again.

After living with and becoming friends with them over three months, and especially hearing lewd noises in the middle of the night, creates a strong bond between them.

“I mean, if you want I can send yo-”

And Syoya hands up his hands in the air, waving them rapidly with random, incoherent noises coming from his mouth loudly to drown out the eldest. 

“Please, _please_ don’t finish that sentence I don’t even want to know what you were going to say but please, just stop,” it’s frantic and said rapidly but everyone hears each word clearly and bursts out with laughter. It makes leaving the house a little bit brighter this time, knowing that their last memory together would be this quirky experience of what Junki and Keigo do in their free time; ending on a note that all of them can (horrifically) relate too. 

“Okay, okay,” Junki laughs, clutching his stomach as he leans heavily on his suitcase for support, “I won’t bore you with details. But we really have to go; it hurts too much to stay any longer.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll be back soon.”

It’s sent with a wink, the news of coming back to celebrate New Years Eve with the students also coming out as well during that night on Christmas. It was inevitable that the party planning would be brought up, and besides since the two wouldn’t be living there anymore it’s not like they can just go back into the house. What if the new roommates moved in right before?

Their sad farewell turned slightly happier, with slightly more genuine smiles on their faces as the boys headed out of the door and towards a car parked in the driveway, courtesy from the Sato family to bring them along to their new apartment.

And just like that, all too soon the two oldest boys had left the house, making it feel completely empty even though there were still four boys left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is the last one!!!! aaahhhhh!!!


	47. Episode 47. "Let's Ring in the New Year"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maco - Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> extra extra long chapter! haven't really proofread though oopsies

“I can’t believe you bought that. I’m not wearing it. You can’t make me!”

“You’re such a baby, Syoya-kun. Just put the damn hat on!” Shion giggles, chasing the older around the dining table in attempts to put on the sparkly gold top hat with the words _Happy New Year_ printed largely across the front. It was a pointless attempt trying to chase the older who knew how to run before he knew how to walk. 

“That’s so cheesy and you wasted so much money, and for what? Nothing!”

Shion had run out and bought many decorations at the dollar store just hours before to get ready for their New Years Eve party. And to be fair it wasn’t a lot of money — it was the dollar store, everything cost only a dollar — so what Syoya was saying was complete nonsense. 

“Come on, you would look so cute!”

Shosei is giggling by the few steps down to the living room area, looking on at the scene before him. It was like he was a kid again, watching his friends running around in his backyard as they chased butterflies, or in the field at recess when someone stole another kid’s rock. It was highly entertaining to watch, and Shosei had no intention of stepping in.

Though the other roommate had a different thought in mind, intercepting Syoya as he came around the front of the dining table and wrapped him up in a tight embrace, just long enough for Shion to come up and place the hat on his head. Syoya whined in Sukai’s arms, squirming and he wondered when the younger had gotten so strong. 

“No!” Syoya cried out in a playful manner, sounding like a baby. It made Shion poke fun at him, as how the youngest was way more mature than the supposedly oldest Kimata Syoya, who probably got mistaken for his age. Because there was just no way that that man was in his twenties and about to graduate college.

“I think it suits you,” Sukai smirked down at the one still in his arms whose face is now running hot. The now eldest of the roommates managed to get out of Sukai’s tight embrace, wiggling his way over to the opposite end of the table and taking the hat off in frustration.

“Aw, now you have hat hair, Syoya-kun!” Shion teased once again, jumping away when Syoya made hands. 

Shosei had to lean on the railing overlooking the living room area below because he was laughing too hard, making his stomach hurt and knees weak. Syoya’s hair was sticking up from static, as if pulled by invisible strings and with his wild eyes it made the scene before him all the more laughable. 

“Okay, okay! I’m sorry!” Shion cries out, backing away from the somehow intimidating older yet shorter man, “I won’t force you anymore, but we have to keep decorating or we won’t finish in time!”

Shion claps his hands loudly with a bright smile to match, then diving into the bags on the dining table for some more decorations. He pulled out streamers, hats, party poppers, paper plates and cups and napkins; basically everything the store had to offer that was even remotely close to the theme of New Years Eve. 

Syoya picked up a party horn and blew it into Shion’s ear, purely just to get back at him. It made the other jump at the sudden sound and whip around, a hand shooting out and punching the older in the stomach. 

“Oh, fucking hell Shion-kun,” Syoya cursed, breath knocked out of his lungs by the powerful blow. He didn’t know when these younger boys had gotten too strong but he was thoroughly impressed and also downright scared by them. Syoya staggered back, a hand on a chair to hold him steady as he bent over.

“Shion-kun, you should really keep our hands to yourself,” Sukai sighed as he walked over to Syoya quickly, a hand reaching out to touch Syoya’s that was around his waist, “bunny, are you okay? Come on, let’s sit you down.”

While Sukai tends to a winded Syoya, Shosei goes to grab a bottle of water for the older and Shion is apologizing profusely, already on the other side of the table as not to hurt anyone anymore. It was a common occurrence for the brown-haired boy, and no matter what he did there was always something that went wrong. 

It only takes a few minutes for the eldest to get his breath back again, still sitting on the chair while Sukai rubbed his back in calming circles. He just chuckled at the scene, now thinking back and laughing at what he did and how funny Shion’s reaction was. It got a tiny little smile out of Shion, happy to know that Syoya wasn’t angry with him.

And now they’re all back at the table, sorting through the decorations and wondering where each one should be placed or hung. 

“Okay, this is obviously going over the window,” Shosei holds up the massive banner that spells out the holiday, decorated in silver sparkles glittering prettily in the light. Shion got excited by the idea, nodding enthusiastically as he helped Shosei tape up the banner, leaving the other two to sort out the mess of other decorations.

“Syoya-kun, why don’t you put the plates and napkins and those kitchen items over on the island, I’ll set up the decorations,” Sukai suggests, finger playing with the tinsel on one of the many types of hats Shion bought. 

And in no time it seems like the place is decorated, half with old Christmas decorations still up as no one had the heart to take them down and the other half with the new New Years Eve holiday decorations. 

Just as Syoya sneakily placed a hat on Sukai’s head in retaliation from before, the doorbell rings to announce new arrivals.

“H-hello?” Shosei walked over to the intercom, a shaking hand pressing into the button as he answered. But there was no reason to be nervous as a familiar, cheerful voice rang out.

“Hey losers! Let me in will you?”

And not even a minute later, the two most recently moved out ex-roommates show up inside the door, wide grins on their faces and gift bags hanging by their side.

“Junki-kun, Keigo-kun! Oh, Keigo-kun, guess what-” as Syoya raises his voice even more, eyes lighting up mischievously, Shion pounced on the older with an arm around his neck, face pressed closer to the older’s. He gives a wide grin, arm tightening in warning as to not reveal his most recent clumsy mistake to the elder. 

Keigo gives a weary smile, knowing something was up but not quite sure what it was. 

“Hey, what’s with the bags?” Sukai interrupted, foreseeing what could happen between Keigo and Shion and he just wanted some peace for one night. Plus, he was curious since they were oddly shaped.

“Oh!” Junki raised his. It was a tall and thin one, pinstriped making it look even taller. He stepped closer to Sukai, thrusting the back forward. When Sukai reached out to grab it, it was heavier than he thought the gift would be.

“Junki, what did you get- oh, wine. How lovely,” Sukai asked before reaching into the bag, pulling out a tall bottle of red wine. Junki smiled at the younger, saying it was like a little parting gift and also welcoming back gift all wrapped in one, telling him to enjoy it. There was a hint that it should be opened tonight, and Sukai only smirked.

“So,” Junki clapped his hands, pulling off his backet, “I came here under the impression that I’d get to see a dozen cookies, and you’re telling me that there are no cookies?” Junki had walked over to the kitchen immediately after watching Sukai’s reaction to the gift, placing his jacket on the back of one of the chairs. It was a familiar safe space for him, but once he entered the kitchen he saw no forms of food whatsoever laid out on any of the kitchen counters.

He turned around in disappointment, pointing a finger at the group of university students looking on with wide eyes.

“Food? Did we-”

“Yeah I think-”

“There’s no way-”

“Shion.”

Everyone turned towards the youngest, eyes staring daggers at him. He was the one who pranced out the door, wallet waving around as he said _don’t worry I’ve got this_ and _I’ll even bring back something yummy too._

But that was a lie, as now everyone had forgotten the little message Shion promised on his way out of the door when he got back, arms only full of bags with decorations and no food related items. It was kind of funny how quickly they all forgot about the food, making the chef in the kitchen even more mad.

“You people are ridiculous, I swear. You’re supposed to be students, all-knowing and shit but you can’t even get some food! It’s fucking food for christ’s sake! Everyone needs it to live!” and Junki’s now on a rant about the one thing he is most passionate about. Keigo should have stopped him, calming him down but he always got heart eyes whenever he saw Junki talk about something he is passionate about, no matter the context or tone he was using.

He doesn’t even realize until Shosei next to him gives his shoulder a (hard) nudge to make Junki stop. He could see the dam of tears about to be burst open behind Shion’s eyes at the words coming from Junki’s mouth and he didn’t want anything more sad to happen today. It was a holiday, made for celebration after all.

“J-Junki, baby come on. Don’t be so harsh. Why don’t we go back out and get some food, or ask the others to pick up some?” Keigo smiles slightly at his boyfriend, hoping to ease him. Junki sniffs out harshly, but it calms him down a little seeing Keigo coming so close with his soothing aura. 

As Keigo goes to touch Junki, a warm hand embracing them and talking lightly about who to text to pick up sweets, the other boys sigh in relief as there was one less angry person in the house, the air going back to normal.

It doesn’t take long for another couple to arrive, only about ten minutes or so after Junki and Keigo had. When they walk into the house afterwards, they’re bearing bags of food that have already been bought previously, without the warning of Junki.

“Oh thank god! My saviors!” Junki runs over to Sho who had to move his arms out of the way before Junki crushed the bags of chips and containers of cookies. Sho caught him though, one free hand going around the younger’s back to pull him into a hug.

It’s been about a month since they have seen each other, and even though they talk almost daily, it still wasn’t the same then seeing each other in person.

“I”m glad to see you too,” Sho grins slightly, pulling away to set down the bags of food. Junki dives right in, almost before the oldest has properly placed them down but Junki doesn’t care because he’s starving and really in the mood for sweets.

Ruki comes around the corner, heading towards Sho and placing a hand on his shoulder. There’s a few smiles and hugs going around as they all greet one another.

“Oh!” Syoya flings his body upwards, face red, “Sho-kun, Ruki-kun! You haven’t met the new roommates have you? This is Ohira Shosei and Tsurubo Shion. He might give you a heart attack though, so I would stay away from the brat,” Syoya sticks out his tongue playfully at the youngest, hiding behind Sukai when Shion took a step forward for retaliation.

“If anyone is the brat here, it’s-”

And their banter is cut short by Sukai tilting his head lightly, an eyebrow raised. Shion huffs at the look, backing away but still pissed off at being called a brat.

Ruki cuts in with a smile that lights up the room, introducing himself and Sho to the newest roommates. It was only fair, due to them moving out with the two moving in just after them, taking their empty rooms and their seats at the dining table.

“It’s really nice to meet you both! It’s amazing that you’re still together, I wish that for me,” Shosei brightens when talking to the eldests, admiring their relationship that is still going strong.

“Well, it is pretty great, but you should really see-” and that’s when Sho was cut off, the doorbell ringing once again to announce the last people to enter the house.

Junki screeches like a bat, noise echoing from every corner of the house when he sees familiar pink hair peeking out from behind the door, face poking out next.

Junki shouts his name, pushing Keigo away as he wraps his best friend up in a tight hug, crushing the younger’s bones. It’s been months since he last saw the boy, being at Tokyo Disneyland which felt like ages ago. And now that they’re back together again, they can continue their antics in real time and not just through texts sent throughout the day when they’re not busy.

Takumi giggles in Junki’s arms, cute laughter filling the air that makes everyone stop and stare.

“Hey, I want some loving too,” Ren pouts from behind Takumi, arms crossed. It makes Juni pout at the older also, releasing the pink-haired one from his grip for a grey-haired one.

It doesn’t take long for everyone to get acquainted with the longest couple (we won’t count Sho and Ruki since they had a long break), the two boys being friendly and all smiles with everyone in the house. Shosei and Ren bonded instantly over music, Ren saying that he would love to dance to anything Shosei wrote or proposed to him since it’s been a while since he has danced to anything slow.

It’s a while later, when everyone has had just a little bit too much to drink, cheeks red with alcohol.

Shion is back at it again with his angsty teenager attitude, blowing one of the party horn in Syoya’s ear once again. He does it for the fifth time before the older whips his head around, grabbing the toy in his fist.

“If you blow that noise maker in my face one more time-”

“What, is it not getting you in the cheerful New Years Eve spirit?” Shion asks innocently, pulling the party horn out of Syoya’s hand and fixing it. He makes sure it works again after being crumpled flat, blowing extra hard right in Syoya’s ear with a snicker coming out afterwards at hearing the noise.

“I am too sober for this shit.”

Syoya downs what he has left in his cup, a third of it full of a fruity flavored beer that was brought by Ren and Takumi. It slides down his throat easily, instantly making his stomach warm.

Shion just laughs at his reaction, long enough for Syoya to move away from the younger and to the other side of the room where some of the other roommates were standing around talking. But as he was walking across the living room, light from outside caught his eye as it’s been a few hours now, the sun setting behind the trees and the sky pitch black out. Someone was out there, with the light on the side of the house turned on for clear vision.

“-know what mom said. You’re too young and there’s too much bad influence here for you to come,” Sukai sighed, picking at a loose thread from the hem of his shirt.

“But I just want to spend New Years with you like every other year,” his brother’s voice rang out, much too clear for the older. His heart broke at the words, remembering how it was only him and his brother at New Years parties his parents always dragged them to. So they stuck together like glue, messing around with each other in the corner of a room, giggling like children — because they were.

“Don’t worry Issei-kun, I’ll come visit you soon. I promise. But you be good alright? I only want to hear good things coming from mom and dad’s mouths when I come back,” Sukai smiled at the younger even though he couldn’t see, phone pressed to his ear in a phone call and not a facetime.

“Hey, I’m not _that_ much of a trouble maker!” Issei whined. Sukai could see the younger’s pout and he laughed at the thought, eager to get back home soon to see his best friend.

“Well, I’m sorry you couldn’t come but do you at least want to say hi for a few minutes? I’m sure the other guys would love to hear from you. They like you better than me, I’m sure, and I live with them,” Sukai huffed at the last sentence, but his frown turned upside down at Issei’s explosive words in his ears saying that he does want to wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year.

“Okay, okay. Stop talking my ear off for a second, will you? Geez, when did you get so loud?” Sukai snorted, standing up to go back inside the warm house. He wrapped his jacket around him just a little bit tighter, hurrying towards the door.

“Hey, guys?” Sukai called out hesitantly once he opened the sliding door, phone pulling away from his ear, “this might not make sense to some of you, but my brother would like to say hi."

At the words, he put his brother on speaker and the university students tripped over themselves to get closer to Sukai, shouting greetings and wishing the younger a happy new year.

“Issei-kun! How are you?” Shosei asked the boy, a bright smile on his face. They’re probably the closest. With both of their auras being bright and happy it was bound to happen that they would gravitate towards each other like magnets, becoming good friends even if they’re many kilometres apart.

“Shosei-kun! I’m doing great- hey, can we play Monster Hunter later? I’m so close to leveling up!” It was a quick change of subject, and the blonde laughed at his eagerness. Sukai basically shoved his phone over to the older, telling him if he wanted to they could keep talking since Sukai knew just how much his younger brother admired Shosei.

Shosei smiled gratefully, taking the phone and moving to a secluded part of the house to talk to Issei for a quick few minutes, making his New Year’s just a little bit brighter.

And after that, it’s not long before they’ve all had even more to drink in celebration, Ren hanging off the side of the couch with his eyes closing slightly.

“Ren! Don’t tell me you’re the one to fall asleep before midnight every year,” his boyfriend came around the side of the couch, always finding where Ren was.

__Ren chuckled, eyes blinking, “yeah . . . I always fall asleep before midnight and miss everything, so maybe you should do everything to keep me awake this year.”_ _

__It’s followed by a smirk from the older, eyes squinting innocently but to Takumi they looked hooded._ _

__The other roommates and ex-roommates had to look away from Takumi pulling Ren into a chaste kiss, turning into one that lasted way longer than intended but neither one of the boys involved complained._ _

__It was a good distraction to turn away for Junki, eyes landing on his own boyfriend who once again was downing yet another beer. Junki sighed, eyes rolling at Keigo when he questioned him, saying it was a celebration, ”you’re not allowed to drink anymore! You do irresponsible things when you’re drunk!”_ _

__Junki whispered the last line to Keigo, breath hot on the other’s ear. It made Keigo smirk, but he knew those days were over with just how much he was head over heels for Junki, knowing the older was exactly the same way._ _

__“Don’t worry Junkichi, I can han-hande my alch-hol,” Keigo hiccuped, a lazy smile on his face. Junki shook his head, a hand running through Keigo’s fading blonde locks, the roots showing brown._ _

__“Yeah, you _can handle your alcohol_ , my ass. I’m not holding your head out of the toilet bowl tonight, I’ll let you drown instead.”_ _

__“H-hey! That’s not nice,” Keigo frowned. Almost instantly he placed his unfinished beer bottle on the side table next to him, hands wrapping around his boyfriend in a promise, “I won’t drink anymore tonight. I swear it, cross my heart and hope to die.”_ _

__Junki rolled his eyes, hand moving down to Keigo’s jaw as he cupped it gently._ _

__“Whatever you say love, but just don’t come near me with your alcohol breath,” Junki giggles even though he knows that he loves to drink just as much as the younger, probably having a similar amount tonight too._ _

__And that’s where they are now, Keigo chasing Junki’s lips and the older is turning away, lips meeting several places on skin but not the ones he wants them to land on. The blonde whines, reaching forward once again to capture Junki with his own but it’s without success. Junki laughs in Keigo’s arms, trying to trap him closer so he can place a kiss on the older’s lips but it’s much too fun to witness this cat and mouse game to Junki rather than giving in to what Keigo wants._ _

__Sho watched on from the dining room, eyebrows raised at the sight. He’s had an inkling, but he never expected this duo to come out of who was left at the house. It was quite the surprise, but seeing such a genuine smile on both of their faces as Junki eventually gives in because he wants a kiss just as bad, Sho can’t help the smile that makes its way on his own face._ _

__Ruki comes up besides Sho, arm going to rest on his shoulder._ _

__“They’re cute together. Who would have thought.”_ _

__Sho hums, attention turning towards Ruki, “but we’re cuter I think, right?”_ _

__“Of course we are,” Ruki laughs and Sho was completely mesmerized. The corner of his lips quirk up, moving much too quickly for Ruki to register as he stole a kiss of his own. Ruki holds his head though, keeping him from moving away as their lips move in sync._ _

__All the lovey dovey kisses going around is making Syoya sick to his stomach. Whenever he leaves the room because of it, he’s faced with another couple just around the corner doing the same thing. He doesn’t think he can last the rest of the night, the ball dropping in just over an hour._ _

__The tall blonde eyes the student as he comes into his view. A slow smirk comes over his face, questions racing through his mind as what happened while he was gone for the past few days._ _

__“I’ll be right back, okay?” Keigo presses a light kiss to Junki’s forehead, leaving him with a breathtaking smile. Junki couldn’t complain at his boyfriend leaving, just watching him go starstruck at his dashingly good looks._ _

__“Syoya-kun!” Keigo wraps the younger in a one-armed hug, “how’s life treating you, huh?”_ _

__Syoya makes a gagging sound, really not wanting to talk about what he knows the blonde will bring up but it’s no use as Keigo just continues on like he didn’t hear._ _

“I want to hear the details, but my phone isn’t blowing up from you. Has _anything_ happened?” It was quiet, or well the quiet that Keigo thinks when he’s past tipsy and most definitely drunk, but it’s also much too loud for Syoya who is getting all hot and bothered.

__“K-keigo-kun,” he stutters, face warming up much too quickly, “no, just, no nothing happened. It probably won’t either.”_ _

__It makes Keigo frown, hearing the sadness lace the younger’s words even though there was a small smile on his face as to try and not make the older worry too much about his love life. He knew that something must have gone down that Monday night when the two came back into the house, shy smiles on their faces. It wasn’t much, nothing obvious but Keigo could see right through them. Especially when he’s so invested in Syoya’s love life, taking in every detail down to the skin tone and emotions in their eyes._ _

__“Well, how about this. I’ll make a New Year's resolution for you, and you can do one for me?”_ _

__Keigo had a trick up his sleeve, Syoya just knew. And he didn’t know what made him agree to it; maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was his subconscious telling him that he needed to do something, build up some sort of courage to get what he wanted after all these years._ _

__“Yes? Okay, well I want you to confess to Sukai. Or do something, I really don’t care but I want to see you both happy. I have eyes, you know, and there’s something going on that I can’t just ignore.”_ _

__Syoya whines, hands clinging to Keigo’s shirt. His heart started to beat rapidly, remembering the many times they’ve caught eyes tonight but glanced away much too quick for either one’s liking. It was like middle school all over again and Syoya had a big fat crush. And it’s all coming crashing down on him at this very moment, hands clutching even tighter now with knuckles turning white._ _

__“Hey, you can do it, Syoya-kun,” Keigo gently removed the hand that was now digging its fingernails into his skin, “and anyway, what’s my resolution?”_ _

__It distracted the younger for just a quick second, remembering their deal that he barely agreed to._ _

__“R-resolution? I . . . I don’t know,” he trailed off, thankful for the distraction. Keigo smirked, seeing the gears moving in Syoya’s head._ _

__“Well, I want you to model on a runway again. And I want all of us to come and watch again, as a whole group,” Syoya said softly, eyes moving back up and locking with Keigo’s. Keigo later blames it on the alcohol, but he gets emotional quickly and his eyes sting._ _

__“I wish for that too, Syoya-kun. I promise to make it happen,” he pulls the younger in for a tight hug, not letting go for a long time. It makes everyone else in the house who look on have to turn away, giving them space._ _

__It quickly becomes just a few minutes before midnight, the boys ready to ring in the new year._ _

__“God, I hope 2020 will be fun,” Shosei twirls his drink around in his cup. It’s very watered down as he wanes down the night._ _

__The other boys around him agree, leaning on their significant other’s shoulders or just standing awkwardly, the tv playing in the background._ _

__“That does sound like fun,” Takumi speaks up, ready to ring in the new year. He wonders what it has in store for him and Ren, hoping that they could somehow live together in the near future even though Takumi loves working at the flower shop and Ren would never drop out of Lapone Entertainment, already set into a new group that is hoping to debut within the next year or so._ _

__He’s managed to keep Ren up with little kisses here and there, feeding him a cookie as well when he knows Ren is getting antsy. After having a week or so off from work, Ren has gotten so much sleep in that he’s prone to it now, not used to the late nights he’s been doing for the past couple of months. It makes Takumi smile a little, remembering when they would sleep over at one another’s and could see their sleepy selves, eyes dropping cutely._ _

__Syoya’s eyes lock with Sukai’s for the umpteenth time tonight, his chest tightening._ _

__Keigo’s words are swarming around his head, mixing with his thoughts and it’s all confusing. Nothing makes sense; sentences are splitting apart and reforming. It's hard to breathe, so hard and he wants out. Syoya blames it all on the brown-haired boy who has now come right in front of him._ _

__“Do you want to keep this fake boyfriend thing going on for just one more night?”_ _

__And Syoya could have died right then and there, hearing the smooth confidence from the other’s word. Syoya must have looked like a fish, with his mouth gaping open, closing every few seconds just to open them again for no words to come out._ _

__Sukai smirked, head tilting as he waited for his answer._ _

_Four minutes._

__Syoya thought that maybe he could get away with his resolution if he just acted up right now, but his muscles won’t move and his throat seems to be stripped of any vocal chords._ _

__“Because I was just thinking, and I’ve never had a New Years kiss before,” it’s a little bit more hesitant now on Sukai’s end seeing the older’s reaction, but he still pushes forward, “and we never did fake break up.”_ _

_Three minutes._

__Keigo was watching out of the corner of his eye — everyone else was — and he wanted to punch the younger in the face because he knew that that action could at least arise something within the black-haired male._ _

__But he couldn't do anything to intervene; it was their moment, and he already told Syoya what to do._ _

__“Well? Syoya-kun?”_ _

_Two minutes._

__Syoya snapped out of it, seeing the almost hurt expression on the younger’s face. He swallowed hard, glad to feel something as his mouth went dry much too quickly. He licked his lips, the other’s eyes darting down for a split second but with how close they were Syoya noticed._ _

__He’s hot again, hating the feeling and he just wanted to be cold. So cold, so he takes Sukai’s hand in his and finds in relief that it's cold from the drink he was carrying just a few minutes earlier._ _

_One minute._

__Sukai raises an eyebrow, and Syoya finds the courage within himself to send him a small smile back, telling him he would love to experience his first New Years kiss as well. The younger squeezes his hand at the reaction and their hearts beat in sync._ _

__And really, deep down the two boys couldn’t wait for the clock to strike midnight to finally feel what each other’s lips tasted like. But just waiting for even a minute longer, it made the build up that much more intense and they know it’s going to be fireworks._ _

__When the countdown began, much too slow for most, tension built in the air._ _

__Everyone is counting down; Ren and Takumi with smiles on their faces, eyes shining. It was the same for Junki and Keigo, only looking at each other as they were in their own little world. Sukai’s staring intently at a still slightly hesitant Syoya, but when they reached zero they both jumped at each other, hands tucked neatly in each other's hair. And it’s fireworks, just like they both had thought. It might be embarrassing for the others, how they pulled away from the spark for a quick second only to come back together once again, craving the feeling._ _

__Sho sighed, a smile on his face as he pulled Ruki close._ _

“I hope this makes up for last time,” Sho breathes on Ruki’s lips, nose touching. Ruki just smirks telling him to _just kiss me_ and join their lips together in a slow kiss, savoring every feeling. It’s long and gentle, arms wrapping around a neck and a waist as they get even closer to one another, embodying what Sho would have done all those years ago. So much emotion if poured into that simple kiss; an apology for doing so much wrong, love for telling Ruki that he would never let him go again, a promise.

__In the background, it’s faint as everyone was in their own moment when the word ‘zero’ was yelled out by everyone._ _

__“Don’t you dare kiss me- don’t you dare-” Shosei’s panicky when he sees the only other boy who wasn’t tied down to someone come towards him with puckered lips. But Shion’s lips don’t land on Shosei’s; instead it’s on his cheek, a sloppy kiss that leaves a mess and makes Shion grin devilishly when he’s finished._ _

"Happy New Year, sweet-cheeks."

__Shosei groans, going to wipe off the saliva and hoping to put it on Shion in retaliation._ _

__The night ends with everyone smiling widely, cheeks hurting but no one cares as it ended on a happy note._ _

__And a few hours later, the house clears out leaving only the four students behind who still live at the house, not ready to clean up the mess of decorations and alcohol bottles strewn around the room. So they leave that for the morning, eyes heavy as they retreat to their own rooms late into the night._ _

__Just as Shion throws the last bottle into the recycle bin, the intercom buzzes once again. It's mid afternoon, and everyone freezes when they hear the all too familiar sound._ _

__The university students freeze, glancing at each other. Who would come next, and move in on New Years of all days?_ _

__Syoya goes to answer the call, finger shaking on the button. The voice is low, gruff, muffled by the static but everyone in the room still manages to hear it loud and clear._ _

__“Hello. I’m your new roommate, and I’ve come to move in today.”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *insert terrace house closing door sound*
> 
> wow. so this is it then i guess.
> 
> thank you all for sticking with this au and reading until the end!!! i really didn't think i was going to write this much, i had absolutely no idea where i was going to go with it when i first started but i'm so glad that i kept going. i'm really happy with the way it turned out, and i hope you all are too! i appreciate the readers and the comments sooooooo much you really have no idea!!
> 
> i will be going back through this au eventually to correct mistakes, maybe add a few more details. who knows. it's never me though.
> 
> p.s. i haven't updated the carrd in forever and literally won't, might delete it actually. so like, don't look at it please lol


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